Introduction/aim Raynaud's syndrome is one of the characteristic and early manifestations of diffuse scleroderma. The goal is to study the clinical features and severity of Raynaud's syndrome in diffuse scleroderma. and the diagnostics and all manifestations during the of the study of nailfold capillaroscopy.
Materials and methods
The study included 62 patients (57 or 91.9% of women and 5 or 8.1% of men average age is52.3 ± 12.6, duration of the disease is 6.7 ± 5.4 years). In 47 patients (75.8%), the limited form of the disease was identified in 47 patients diffusion in in 15 (24.1%). The first degree of Raynaud's syndrome was diagnosed in 62 (100%) patients. The first degree of Raynaud's syndrome was found in 18 (29.1%) patients, the second degree was in 31 (50%), the third degree in 13 (20.9%). All patients had nailfold capillaroscopy examination.
Findings/discussion
The number of capillaries in the group of diffuse scleroderma suffered patients was an average 5.7 ± 2.3, avascular zones-1.4 ± 0.8,“bushy”capillaries-1.5 ± 1.2, enlarged capillaries -2.3 + 1.6. All indicators found in patients with diffuse scleroderma were statistically different from those of healthy and patients with primary Raynaud's syndrome. We detected a statistically significant difference between the diffuse and limited forms of diffuse scleroderma based on the explicit “bushy” deformity of the vessels. Typical for the diffuse scleroderma with capillaroscopy features are varying degrees of dilated capillaries ranging from insignificant to mega capillaries, a decrease in the number of capillaries often with the formation of avascular regions, microhemorrhage which are usually associated with mega capillaries, the growth of “bushy” capillaries.
Conclusion
Currently it is generally accepted that capillaroscopy changes in patients with Raynaud's syndrome are a predictor of the development of connective tissue disease in the future (including diffuse scleroderma). Raynaud's syndrome in diffuse scleroderma has clear clinical and capillaroscopy more explicit signs in severe forms of the disease.