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Letter
Doppler ultrasound identifies increased resistive indices in SSc
  1. N Bregenzer1,
  2. O Distler1,2,
  3. R Meyringer1,
  4. J Schölmerich1,
  5. U Müller-Ladner1,
  6. G Lock1
  1. 1Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Regensburg, Germany
  2. 2Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zürich, Gloriastr. 25 CH-809, Zürich, Switzerland
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr N Bregenzer
    Department of Internal Medicine I, FJS-Allee 11, University of Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, Germany; nicole.bregenzerklinik.uni-regensburg.de

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2003.009118

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    Cutaneous lesions in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are characterised by fibrosis as well as by changes in the microvasculature. Various methods, including nailbed capillaroscopy, laser Doppler flow monitoring, thermography, and plethysmography, have been used to evaluate distal digital vascularisation and to assess the microvascular damage.1–4 In studies using Doppler flowmetry and iontopheresis, patients with SSc showed reduced vasodilatory reserve of the skin microvasculature in response to ischaemia.5,6 A new colour Doppler ultrasound (DU) technique of the nail bed appears to be able to detect and quantify early vascular damage in patients with connective tissue disease.7 However, none of these methods has been generally introduced and accepted in clinical routine.

    METHODS

    This study aimed at assessing the digital blood flow of patients with SSc by DU. We compared the resistive indices (RIs) of 14 healthy …

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