Primary Raynaud’s phenomenon and nailfold videocapillaroscopy: age-related changes in capillary morphology

• Published in: Clinical rheumatology Vol. 36; no. 7; pp. 1637 - 1642
• Main Authors: Pizzorni, Carmen, Sulli, Alberto, Smith, Vanessa, Ruaro, Barbara, Trombetta, Amelia Chiara, Cutolo, Maurizio, Paolino, Sabrina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.07.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Age Factors; Brief Report; Capillaries - pathology; Female; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microscopic Angioscopy - methods; Middle Aged; Morphology; Nails - blood supply; Raynaud disease; Raynaud Disease - pathology; Rheumatology; Statistical analysis; Capillary morphology; Aging; Nailfold videocapillaroscopy; Connective tissue diseases; Primary Raynaud’s phenomenon
• ISSN: 0770-3198; 1434-9949; 1434-9949
• DOI: 10.1007/s10067-016-3442-3

This study aimed to detect by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) the presence of age-related capillary morphological patterns in a large cohort of subjects affected by primary Raynaud’s phenomenon (PRP). NVC was performed in 877 patients affected by PRP, divided into three age groups: <35, 35–55 and >55 years. The following qualitative parameters were assessed and compared in the three groups of patients: apical dilations, irregular (non-homogeneous) dilations, venous branch dilations, microhaemorrhages, tortuosities and subpapillary venous plexus visibility. Patients with either irregular dilations or venous branch dilations were found significantly younger than those without ( p  < 0.0001). The presence of either irregular or venous branch dilations seems to exclude the presence of apical dilations. Patients with microhaemorrhages were found significantly younger than those without ( p  = 0.05), and 81 % of patients without microhaemorrhages did not show irregular and venous branch dilations. The subpapillary venous plexus seems more visible in subjects with age < 35, as well as in those with age > 55 years ( p  < 0.0001). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between presence of apical and irregular dilations ( p  < 0.0001), apical dilations and venous branch dilations ( p  = 0.02), apical dilations and tortuosities ( p  = 0.0005), microhaemorrhages and tortuosities ( p  < 0.0001) and venous branch dilations and tortuosities ( p  = 0.02). Finally, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between irregular and venous branch dilations ( p  < 0.0001), irregular dilations and microhaemorrhages ( p  < 0.0001) and venous branch dilations and microhaemorrhages ( p  < 0.0001). In conclusion, our study detected different age-related morphological capillary changes mainly in younger patients with PRP, as well as statistically significant correlations between the presence of different capillary variables.