Nailfold Capillary Changes Research Articles

Are Nailfold Capillary Changes Indicators of Organ Involvement in Progressive Systemic Sclerosis?

Nailfold capillary abnormalities in 40 patients suffering from progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma; PSS) were studied by widefield nailfold capillary microscopy. Capillary enlargement and loss were graded using the rating scales of Maricq and Minkin. Capillary changes were correlated with organ involvement and immunological abnormalities. A high correlation was found between the grade of nailfold capillary changes and the clinical severity of PSS. Nailfold capillary microscopy seems to be a useful method to get quick information in order to predict organ involvement in PSS.

Relationship between nailfold capillary abnormalities and organ involvement in systemic sclerosis.

Nailfold capillary abnormalities in 42 consecutive patients with systemic sclerosis were studied by wide field capillary microscopy, and capillary abnormalities were correlated with organ involvement. Twenty-eight patients hd diffuse skin disease, and 14 had the CREST variant of systemic sclerosis (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasis) with anticentromere antibodies. Nailfold capillary enlargement and loss were graded from photographs. There was no correlation between the severity of either nailfold capillary loss or enlargement and duration of disease, number of organ systems involved, or acroosteolysis. The presence of telangiectasis correlated with extreme capillary enlargement (P less than 0.025). Based on these findings it can be concluded that nailfold capillary changes in individual patients with systemic sclerosis are not useful in predicting organ involvement.