Background/Purpose: Capillaroscopy is a
noninvasive and safe method that allows visualization of the capillaries in the
finger nailfold, it is useful in the evaluation of Raynaud’s phenomenon and
collagen diseases, especially scleroderma. There are a variety of studies on
the capillaroscopic findings in different collagen diseases, with the SD
pattern being the characteristic finding of scleroderma. However, some microvascular
alterations can occur in the healthy population; little is known about the
prevalence and distribution of capillaroscopic changes in this group.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and prospective study of
healthy subjects selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subjects
presenting signs/symptoms or history of any collagen disease, trauma presence
in the nailfold due to cosmetic treatment or nail polish, were excluded. Videocapillaroscopy
of the nailfold of the nondominant hand’s fourth and fifth fingers was
conducted on 100 students from the Universidad Espiritu Santo. The capillaroscopy
was performed by an experienced rheumatologist in a room with an ambient
temperature of 20-23^oC. The fourth and fifth fingers of the
nondominant hand were chosen. The capillaries were observed using a 10x
magnification capillaroscope (Dino-Lite) and photographs of the last distal row
of capillaries were taken. The following capillaroscopic parameters were
considered: capillary diameter (ectasia and giant capillaries), crosslinked
capillaries, capillary tortuosity, ramified capillaries, avascular zones, hemorrhages,
dominant morphology, subpapillar venous plexus visibility, cuticulitis and SD
pattern. The images were analyzed by an experienced rheumatologist. Data was
analyzed using SPSS. The non-parametric correlations were performed by tau_b
Kendall and values were considered statistically significant when p ²0.01 and they
had two tails.

Results: 100 patients were analyzed with a mean age of
21.38 years, 50 females (50%) and 50 males (50%), most were of mixed race (87%)
and caucasian (13%). Videocapillaroscopy was performed on all participants, 17%
of the population didn’t present capillaroscopic disorders, 86% had alterations,
the most frequent were ectasias (60%), tortuous capillaries (62%) and
crosslinked capillaries (59%), the mean capillary size was 42.75μm  (women: 41.14μm vs. men: 45.34μm).
The population was divided into two groups: smokers and nonsmokers. In the
group of smokers (n = 14), the capillary mean was 46.25μm, the most
frequent capillaroscopic findings were tortuous capillaries (91%), cross-linked
capillaries (72%), ectasias (64%) and ramified capillaries (27%). A correlation
between the presence of ramified capillaries and smoking (p <0.05, OR 7.54,
95% CI 1.35-42.11) was found. No giant capillaries nor hemorrhages were found.

Conclusion: This is the first
capillaroscopic study with healthy subjects in Ecuador, healthy subjects may
present microvascular alterations and this results were similar to previous studies
conducted by Hoerth  and Coelho
Andrade.