Study | No. Patients | Methods | Main Findings |
---|---|---|---|
Correa2 | 44 | LDI and NFC | LDI and NFC are complementary tools for evaluation of different aspects of SSc microangiopathy |
Cutolo3 | 34 | LDF and NVC | Fingertip blood perfusion correlated negatively with the extent of the nailfold microvascular damage scored according to NVC classification |
Rosato5 | 142 | LDI and NVC | Skin blood perfusion showed a negative correlation with microvascular damage scored according to NVC classification |
Rosato6 | 30 | LDI and NVC | In SSc patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, bosentan improved skin perfusion, particularly in patients with the early/active capillaroscopic patterns |
Rosato7 | 100 | LDI, NVC, and PPG | A strong correlation exists between capillaroscopic patterns and digital skin perfusion and pulsatility of digital arteries |
Murray8 | 16 | LDI, NFC, and thermal imaging | LDI and thermal imaging give equivalent information on dynamic changes in the cutaneous microcirculation. However, a combination of all 3 techniques improves classification |
Mugii9 | 127 | NVC | Red blood cell velocity was significantly associated with NVC findings. Patients with the scleroderma active and late NVC pattern showed a lower red blood cell velocity compared with scleroderma early pattern |
Rosato10 | 40 | LDI and NVC | In early SSc, thermoregulation of finger skin is impaired. With progression of NVC damage, the abnormal microvascular response to cold stimulation also appears in the hand dorsum skin |
LDI: laser Doppler imaging; LDF: laser Doppler flowmetry; NFC: nailfold capillaroscopy; NVC: nailfold videocapillaroscopy; PPG: photoplethysmography.