Capillaroscopic quantitation of capillary abnormalities In systemic sclerosis patients and primary raynaud’s phenomenon

Abstract EN

Materials: We studied 20 systemic sclerosis patients who were classified into limited (13 patients) and diffuse (7 patients) systemic sclerosis, 10 patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon and 10 normal individuals age and sex matched with the patients as a control group.

Methods: Nail fold capillary abnormalities were analyzed with a light microscope under immersion oil at magnifications of x40 and x400 and by using stereomicroscopy at a magnification of x200 and x600, capillary density was measured within a 3 mm length of the nail fold.

Results: The morphological appearance of nail fold capillaries in limited SSc showed tortuous capillaries in 46.15%, mega capillaries in 53.8%, pericapillary edema in 76.9% and pericapillary hemorrhage in 46.1%.

Tortuous capillaries were found in 71.4% of diffuse SSc and 14.3% of them showed hairpin appearance and also 14.3% showed mega capillaries.

Thirty percent of PRP patients showed hairpin appearance and 70% of them showed tortuous capillaries.

The capillary density was 5.1 loops/mm in LSSc, 6.4 loops/mm in DSSc, 7.4 loops/mm in PRP and 8.9 loops/mm in controls with highly significant difference between patients and controls.

There was a significant difference between patients and range of capillary density in skin calcinosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, arthritis, pulmonary affection and vasculitis.

Conclusion: Capillary abnormalities can be quantified using direct capillaroscopy, which is rapid, simple and reliable.