CONCISE REPORT
Colour duplex sonography of finger arteries in vasculitis and in systemic sclerosis
Medical Centre for Rheumatology Berlin-Buch, Karower Str 11, 13125 Berlin, Germany
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr W A Schmidt
w.schmidt{at}immanuel.de
Case reports: Three patients—two with Wegener’s granulomatosis and one with an overlap syndrome of rheumatoid vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and antiphospholipid syndrome—are described. All patients experienced a sudden onset of Raynaud’s phenomenon or acrocyanosis when they had a flare of their disease.
Discussion: Ultrasonography (US) showed dark (hypoechoic) arteries without colour signals, resembling the US pattern of embolism. In contrast, US in patients with systemic sclerosis is entirely different, delineating a smaller artery lumen, reduced pulsation, and thickened, slightly hyperechoic artery walls.
Abbreviations: CCP, cyclic citrullinated peptide; CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; MCP, metacarpophalangeal; MTP, metatarsophalangeal; PIP, proximal interphalangeal; US, ultrasonography
Keywords: ultrasonography; Wegener’s granulomatosis; rheumatoid arthritis; systemic sclerosis; antiphospholipid syndrome
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
-
Immunology (including allergy)
-
Radiology
-
Connective tissue disease
-
Systemic lupus erythematosus
-
Vascularitis
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
