Raynaud's phenomenon in chain saw users. Hot and cold finger systolic pressures and nailfold capillary findings

• Published in: European heart journal 1987-04, Vol.8 (4), p.417-422
• Main Authors: VAYSSAIRAT, M., PATRI, B., MATHIEU, J.-F., LIENARD, M., DUBRISAY, J., HOUSSET, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood Pressure; Cold Temperature; digital artery; Fingers - blood supply; Hot Temperature; Humans; lumberjacks; Male; microangiopathy; Microcirculation - physiopathology; Nails - blood supply; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - physiopathology; plethysmography; Raynaud Disease - etiology; Raynaud Disease - physiopathology; Vibrating tool disease; Vibration - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0195-668X; 1522-9645
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a062296

To gain insight into the physiopathology of Raynaud's phenomenon of occupational origin, finger systolic pressures under heat and cold, and results of nailfold capillary microscopy, were examined in 29 lumberjacks with Raynaud's phenomenon vibration syndrome (pathological group) and 24 lumberjacks without it (non-pathological group), and compared with the same values in 26 healthy matched manual workers not using a vibrating tool (controls). Vibration syndrome physiopathology seemed multifactorial, combining 5 features: (1) a rise in brachial diastolic and systolic pressures in the pathological group compared with the two other groups. In lumberjacks with Raynaud's phenomenon, these rises seemed to be acquired, since they were not found when the workers were engaged; (2) a reduction in the number of nailfold capillaries (9.4 ± 2 per mm in the pathological group vs 11 ± 2.5 in the controls, P