Patterns of finger capillary abnormalities in connective tissue disease by “wide‐field” microscopy

Abstract

Abstract The fingers of 75 patients with connective tissue disorders were examined by “wide‐field” capillary microscopy. Four diagnostic groups were included in this study: rheumatoid arthritis—28, scleroderma—22, dermatomyositis—8, and systemic lupus erythematosus—17.On the basis of different patterns of elementary microvascular abnormalities and their distribution, 3 distinct groups were recognized among these patients: 1) increased visibility of nailfold subpapillary plexus in rheumatoid arthritis, 2) massive capillary dilatation in scleroderma‐dermatomyositis, and 3) focal loss of capillaries and prominence of subpapillary vessels with “punched‐out” lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus.