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Assessment of capillary density in systemic sclerosis with three different capillaroscopic methods

Wildt, Marie LU ; Wuttge, Dirk LU ; Hesselstrand, Roger LU and Scheja, Agneta LU (2012) In Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 30(2). p.50-54
Abstract
Objectives:

Capillary abnormalities, such as the enlargement and/or disappearance of capillary loops, occur early in the majority of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to compare three capillaroscopic methods of determining the capillary density in patients with SSc.



Methods:

Two of the three methods involved stereo-zoom microscopy at a magnification of 20 times, used either for direct counting, or with a camera and imaging software for determination of the capillary density on coded images. The third method was computerised nailfold video capillaroscopy with 300 x magnification using coded images. The capillary density (loops/mm) was determined on the fourth finger of... (More)
Objectives:

Capillary abnormalities, such as the enlargement and/or disappearance of capillary loops, occur early in the majority of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to compare three capillaroscopic methods of determining the capillary density in patients with SSc.



Methods:

Two of the three methods involved stereo-zoom microscopy at a magnification of 20 times, used either for direct counting, or with a camera and imaging software for determination of the capillary density on coded images. The third method was computerised nailfold video capillaroscopy with 300 x magnification using coded images. The capillary density (loops/mm) was determined on the fourth finger of the non-dominant hand with all three methods in 40 patients, 32 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) and 8 with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), and in 21 healthy control subjects.



Results:

The median values of capillary density assessed with the three methods were: 4.3, 5.4 and 6.1 loops/mm in lcSSc patients, 4.5, 5.0 and 6.3 loops/mm in dcSSc patients, and 7.0, 7.0 and 6.9 loops/mm in the controls. Capillary density was thus lower in lcSSc and dcSSc patients than in the controls according to all three methods. Agreement between the three methods was good in the controls. In patients, direct counting resulted in lower values than in the two computer-based methods.



Conclusion:

Assessment of capillary density with three different methods showed good agreement between methods. All methods could differentiate between SSc patients and controls. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
capillary microscopy, capillaroscopy, systemic sclerosis, capillary, density
in
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology
volume
30
issue
2
pages
50 - 54
publisher
Pacini
external identifiers
  • wos:000304976600008
  • scopus:84867379020
ISSN
1593-098X
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
69e2b834-82f3-4a82-b03e-cd1df29e197c (old id 2906318)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22691209?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:38:30
date last changed
2022-01-26 01:07:43
@article{69e2b834-82f3-4a82-b03e-cd1df29e197c,
  abstract     = {{Objectives:<br/><br>
Capillary abnormalities, such as the enlargement and/or disappearance of capillary loops, occur early in the majority of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to compare three capillaroscopic methods of determining the capillary density in patients with SSc. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Methods:<br/><br>
Two of the three methods involved stereo-zoom microscopy at a magnification of 20 times, used either for direct counting, or with a camera and imaging software for determination of the capillary density on coded images. The third method was computerised nailfold video capillaroscopy with 300 x magnification using coded images. The capillary density (loops/mm) was determined on the fourth finger of the non-dominant hand with all three methods in 40 patients, 32 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) and 8 with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), and in 21 healthy control subjects. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results:<br/><br>
The median values of capillary density assessed with the three methods were: 4.3, 5.4 and 6.1 loops/mm in lcSSc patients, 4.5, 5.0 and 6.3 loops/mm in dcSSc patients, and 7.0, 7.0 and 6.9 loops/mm in the controls. Capillary density was thus lower in lcSSc and dcSSc patients than in the controls according to all three methods. Agreement between the three methods was good in the controls. In patients, direct counting resulted in lower values than in the two computer-based methods. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusion:<br/><br>
Assessment of capillary density with three different methods showed good agreement between methods. All methods could differentiate between SSc patients and controls.}},
  author       = {{Wildt, Marie and Wuttge, Dirk and Hesselstrand, Roger and Scheja, Agneta}},
  issn         = {{1593-098X}},
  keywords     = {{capillary microscopy; capillaroscopy; systemic sclerosis; capillary; density}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{50--54}},
  publisher    = {{Pacini}},
  series       = {{Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology}},
  title        = {{Assessment of capillary density in systemic sclerosis with three different capillaroscopic methods}},
  url          = {{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22691209?dopt=Abstract}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}