Evaluation of reflex cold provocation by laser Doppler flowmetry in clinically healthy subjects with a history of cold hands.

The aim of the present study was to investigate capillary blood flow and the reaction to cold provocation by means of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and measurement of skin temperature at the fingertip of 39 healthy subjects who had a history of cold hands and feet but were free of any clinically significant vasospastic symptoms. A group of 39 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects without such complaints served as the control. The anamnestic complaints about cold hands and feet could be substantiated by the presence of a lower baseline skin perfusion and temperature. However, the maintenance of the normal range of reagibility to a reflex contractile stimulus with an unaltered potential to recover distinctly separates these subjects from patients with Raynaud's disease.

[Laser Doppler flow measurement of the finger during cold provocation: results in 140 patients with healthy blood vessels]. / Laser-Doppler Fluxmessung am Finger während Kälteprovokation: Ergebnisse bei 140 Gefässgesunden.

Flow patterns of the cutaneous circulation of the third left finger was studied before and after standardized cold challenge in 140 healthy subjects by means of Laser-Doppler flowmetry. Flow behaviour showed no statistical differences regarding to age, sex and day time. Nevertheless, the results may serve only to a limited extent as a reference in the evaluation of individual test results for everyday angiological diagnosis since the interindividual variability of the flux values is considerable. However, the present data obtained from a relatively large normal population are suitable as a reference basis for scientific investigations using groups of healthy subjects or patients.