Capillary density: An important parameter in nailfold capillaroscopy.
Nailfold capillaroscopy is one of the various noninvasive bioengineering methods used to investigate skin microcirculation. It is an effective examination for assessing microvascular changes in the peripheral circulation; hence it has a significant role for the diagnosis of Systemic sclerosis with the classic changes of giant capillaries as well as the decline in capillary density with capillary dropout. The decline in capillary density is one of microangiopathic features existing in connective tissue disease. It is detectable with nailfold capillaroscopy. This parameter is assessed by applying quantitative measurement. In this article, we reviewed a common method for calculating the capillary density and the relation between the number of capillaries as well as the existence of digital ulcers, pulmonary arterial hypertension, autoantibodies, scleroderma patterns and different scoring system.
Medical Image and Signal Processing Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address: zahra_emrani@mail.mui.ac.ir.
Zahra
Z
Emrani
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), School of Technology and Health, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: abdolamir.karbalaie@sth.kth.se.
Abdolamir
A
Karbalaie
Department of Rheumatology, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address: a_fatemi@med.mui.ac.ir.
Alimohammad
A
Fatemi
Medical Image and Signal Processing Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address: mahetehad@gmail.com.
Mahnaz
M
Etehadtavakol
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), School of Technology and Health, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: bjorn-erik.erlandsson@sth.kth.se.
Björn-Erik
BE
Erlandsson
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002196:Capillaries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D020678:Microscopic Angioscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D012306:Risk; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis; D014741:Video Recording
D001323:Autoantibodies
Antinuclear antibodies; Capillary density; Digital ulcer; Nailfold capillaroscopy; Pulmonary arterial hypertension