Raynauds disease
The phenomenon, syndrome and Raynaud's disease are differentiated.
Raynaud's phenomenon is the presence of color changes in the most distal regions of the extremities, generally in the fingers of the hands.
The color changes follow an order: initially, the skin appears pale, followed by cyanosis, and finally by flushing (redness).
When Raynaud's phenomenon appears in isolation, without associated disease, it is known as Raynaud's disease.
Raynaud's disease appears in women between the ages of 10 and 30, often emotionally sensitive and sometimes associated with migraine.
In Raynaud's syndrome, Raynaud's phenomenon is associated with a disease that acts as a trigger.
How is it produced?
The cause of Raynaud's disease is unknown, although heredity plays an important role.
Raynaud's syndrome is correlated with different entities that can act as a trigger for the phenomenon, such as: repeated microtrauma (for example, pianists), collagen diseases such as scleroderma, arterial occlusive disease such as thrombosis or embolism, blood dyscrasias such as cryoglobulinemia , drug or metal poisoning, compression syndromes, nervous system diseases and others.
Symptoms
In Raynaud's disease, the previously described discoloration crises of Raynaud's phenomenon appear in relation to exposure to cold and in situations of emotional stress, often bilaterally and predominantly in the upper extremities. Between seizures, patients present mild coldness in the extremities with slight hyperhidrosis (increased sweating).
When it comes to Raynaud's syndrome, the presentation can be unilateral and not so related to cold or emotional states.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon is clinical, relatively simple due to very characteristic symptoms. The difficulty lies in differentiating a disease (without a clear cause) or a Raynaud's syndrome (secondary). For them, a detailed clinical history must be carried out along with a thorough analysis of the possible causes.
It may be useful to carry out a complete blood test to rule out, above all, associated rheumatic diseases, as well as to carry out an X-ray to evaluate the presence of compression syndromes such as the cervical rib.
Treatment
In most cases these are mild episodes that do not require treatment except to avoid the cold, situations of emotional stress and tobacco, which in all cases acts as a harmful agent for blood circulation.
In secondary cases, the underlying cause must be treated.
In some cases, the use of pharmacological treatment, such as calcium antagonists, may be necessary, with nifedipine being the one of choice.
Surgical intervention with sympathetic blockade is reserved for severe cases, when there is no response to drug treatment or the seizures are increasingly frequent and intense.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)