ABSTRACT
Microcirculatory and haemorheological parameters were investigated before and after plasmapheresis in eighteen patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon based on progressive systemic sclerosis. After 4 plasmaphereses, once a week, all patients claimed explicit improvement of their complaints. Raynaud's phenomenon and especially the reaction upon cold provocation had disappeared and skin ulcers healed. Red blood cell (RBC) velocity increased significantly (p less than 0.001) after 4 weeks plasmapheresis. RBC aggregation and plasma viscosity were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) after the last plasmapheresis than before treatment. After 3 years four patients were still free of complaints, but in 14 patients the symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon had reappeared after 6 to 9 months. The skin ulcers, however, did not return in these patients. RBC aggregation and plasma viscosity returned to the initial values after 9 months, while skin capillary blood flow remained significantly enhanced for 24 months. The finding that restoration of RBC aggregation and plasma viscosity to normal level is associated with enhanced skin capillary blood flow, indicates that disturbed haemorheology plays a role in the diminished skin blood flow, as observed in patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. In these patients, plasmapheresis can be considered to treat severe ischemia of the digits.
Subject(s)
Plasmapheresis , Raynaud Disease/therapy , Scleroderma, Systemic/therapy , Skin/blood supply , Adult , Aged , Blood Viscosity/physiology , Capillaries/pathology , Capillaries/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Raynaud Disease/pathology , Raynaud Disease/physiopathology , Scleroderma, Systemic/pathology , Scleroderma, Systemic/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Resympathectomy was performed in 27 patients (eight bilaterally) with ischaemic hand phenomena. An extended operative technique, resecting parts of the second and third intercostal nerves and their surrounding tissue, was used. In all 35 procedures the posterior extrapleural approach was used. Follow-up was from 3 to 12 years. Only the sympathetic ganglia had been removed during the previous surgery by the axillary approach (67 per cent of these patients had had a transient response for between 6 months and 2 years; 33 per cent had had no response at all). A direct subjective improvement was seen after 27 of the 35 reoperations (77 per cent). In 14 patients continuous wave Doppler ultrasound studies were available and showed a significant increase in peak forward frequency after operation (P less than 0.001). From these data it may be concluded that it is possible to obtain a resympathectomy effect, but reoperation should be reserved for special cases for whom survival of digits is essential.
Subject(s)
Hand/blood supply , Intercostal Nerves/surgery , Ischemia/surgery , Sympathectomy , Adult , Blood Flow Velocity , Blood Vessels/innervation , Female , Humans , Ischemia/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Raynaud Disease/surgery , ReoperationABSTRACT
In sixteen patients with ischemic handsyndromes, strain gauge plethysmography was used as a noninvasive diagnostic test. Contrast-arteriography was available for comparison. These patients demonstrate the role for a noninvasive test in selecting patients with Raynaud's phenomenon or asphyxia for arteriography.
