Aberrant responses to thermal stimulus of finger vasculature in connective tissue disease patients

Background. In connective tissue diseases, peripheral blood flow disorder is frequent. It might develop both in limbs and in internal organs, sometimes resulting a severe outcome including pulmonary hypertension, pseudoileus and fingertip necrosis. When it develops in fingers, fingertip temperature is frequently dispersed aberrantly among fingers. Objective. Response to cold thermal stimulus is evaluated by thermographic inspection.