Value of Nailfold Capillaroscopy as A Screening Method for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis | ||||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||||
| Article 26, Volume 80, Issue 2, July 2020, Page 920-927 PDF (609.93 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhm.2020.103657 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| Rasha M. Hammoda; Yasmin Abdelrazek Ali; Nermeen Samy | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) represents one of the main clinical pictures of microvascular damage in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Objective: To assess the role of nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) changes as a screening tool for the existence of PAH in patients with systemic sclerosis. Patients and methods: Forty SSc patients were studied, included: 20 patients with PAH (diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and confirmed by right heart catheterization) and another 20 without PAH. History taking, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations including serological biomarkers (anti-centromere and anti-topoisomerase1 antibodies) have been recorded. NFC was performed for all patients according to the standard method. Results: Scleroderma patients with PAH had significantly a longer disease duration (p=0.002) and higher frequencies of positive anticentromere and anti-topoisomerase 1 antibodies (p=0.011 and p=0.010 respectively). As regard NFC picture, SSc patients without PAH had significantly higher frequencies of early scleroderma pattern changes in 73.7% (p= 0.003), avascular area score 0 in 52.6% (p=0.014) and total NFC score 0 in 57.9% (p=0.022). In contrast, SSc patients with PAH showed higher frequencies of late scleroderma pattern changes in 50% (p=0.005) with lower capillary density (p <0.001), increased number of dilated mega-capillaries (p=0.049) together with more advanced avascular area of score 3 in 47.6% (p=0.007) and total NFC of score 3 in 45% (p=0.003). A significant negative correlation between mean pulmonary arterial pressure and capillary density (r=-0.57, p<0.001) was reported. Conclusion: Low capillary density together with wide avascular areas and more severe NFC scores have a clear association with the presence of PAH. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Systemic Sclerosis; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; Nailfold capillaroscopy | ||||
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