Abstract
Twenty-seven patients with Raynaud's syndrome had their digital vessel patency assessed by Doppler ultrasound after different thermal stresses. Digital vessel patency rates differed significantly after stresses at 15 degrees C and 45 degrees C. In a randomised controlled trial placebo and heparin had no effect either on patients' symptoms or on the patency of their digital vessels. Plasma exchange improved both symptoms and vessel patency rates at 15 degrees C and 21 degrees C. Improvement in seven out of eight of these patients has been maintained for six months. Assessing digital vessel patency by Doppler techniques allow continuous, atraumatic, and safe evaluation of the effects of different methods of treatment on the patency of the digital vessels and has helped to indicate that plasma exchange is a useful adjunct in the management of patients with severe Raynaud's syndrome.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Coffman J. D., Cohen A. S. Total and capillary fingertip blood flow in Raynaud's phenomenon. N Engl J Med. 1971 Jul 29;285(5):259–263. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197107292850505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jamieson G. G., Ludbrook J., Wilson A. Cold hypersenstivity in Raynaud's phenomenon. Circulation. 1971 Aug;44(2):254–264. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.44.2.254. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kent S. J., Thomas M. L., Browse N. L. The value of arteriography of the hand in the Raynaud's syndrome. J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 1976 Jan-Feb;17(1):72–80. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lottenbach K. Vasomotor tone and vascular responses to local cold in primary Raynaud's disease. Angiology. 1971 Jan;22(1):4–8. doi: 10.1177/000331977102200102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Porter J. M., Snider R. L., Bardana E. J., Rösch J., Eidemiller L. R. The diagnosis and treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon. Surgery. 1975 Jan;77(1):11–23. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Talpos G., Horrocks M., White J. M., Cotton L. T. Plasmapheresis in Raynaud's disease. Lancet. 1978 Feb 25;1(8061):416–417. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91205-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zweifler A. J., Cushing G., Conway J. The relationship between pulse volume and blood flow in the finger. Angiology. 1967 Oct;18(10):591–598. doi: 10.1177/000331976701801001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]