Clinical Rheumatology

, Volume 11, Issue 4, pp 536–541 | Cite as

Prognostic significance of nailfold capillary microscopy in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma-pattern abnormalities a six-year follow-up study

  • P. Zufferey
  • M. Depairon
  • A. -M. Chamot
  • M. Monti
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Summary

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of scleroderma capillary pattern (SD-pattern) in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Thirty patients with a capillaroscopy examination suggestive of scleroderma (megacapillaries and/or avascularity) but without clinical criteria of scleroderma (ARA criteria) were reevaluated 6 years after the initial clinical and capillaroscopy examinations. SD-pattern abnormalities were classified according to a semiquantitative method. Eight out of the 28 evaluated patients (28%) developed a scleroderma spectrum disorder (SDS). The presence of avascularity and/or a mean of more than two megacapillaries digit greatly enhanced the percentage of evolution toward SDS (70% / 88% respectively). Most of the patients with few enlarged capillaries and no capillary rarefaction at entry had primary acrocyanosis (11/15). None of them developed SDS. The microangiopathy disappeared during the follow-up period in most of these patients (14/15). These results confirm the prognostic value of SD-pattern capillary abnormalities for SDS. Primary acrocyanosis, a benign clinical entity should be considered in presence of few megacapillaries and without capillary rarefaction.

Key words

Capillaroscopy Raynaud's Phenomenon Scleroderma 
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Copyright information

© Acta Medica Belgica 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • P. Zufferey
    • 2
  • M. Depairon
    • 1
  • A. -M. Chamot
    • 2
  • M. Monti
    • 3
  1. 1.Unite d'AngiologieService de Cardiologie Chuv LausanneSwitzerland
  2. 2.Service de Rhumatologie ChuvLausanneSwitzerland
  3. 3.Policlinique Medicale UniversitaireLausanneSwitzerland

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