Seminarios de la Fundación Española de Reumatología

Capillaroscopy is an imaging technique used in rheumatology to study microcirculation for Raynaud's phenomenon and connective tissue disorders. Knowledge of the characteristics of nailfold microarchitecture in healthy individuals is required to correctly interpret capillaroscopic findings, but isolated abnormalities may be observed and should not be considered as microangiopathy. Furthermore, a wide range of conditions such as age, race or type of employment can be related to some individual variations. Finally, the operator should be aware that correct acclimatization of the examination area and thorough patient preparation increase capillary visualization.