Digital Capillaritis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Summary 353 in-patients suffering from rheumatic diseases have been examined for digital ischemic lesions, nail fold lesions and splinter hemorrhages, during a 4-week period. 233 of these had definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis and 50 had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. An incidence of 36.5 % in males and 32.4 % in females suffering from definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis have been observed. The incidence varied in proportion to the number of times the patients were examined. The incidence rose from 4.2 % at the first examination to 33.9 % at the fourth examination. A distinction has to be made between nail fold lesions and splinter hemorrhages. Splinter hemorrhages occurred in the same proportion in both sexes and were observed in other conditions as well as in the control group. Nail fold lesions, however, occurred only in adult rheumatoid arthritis patients and these patients differed from the cases without lesions. Their mean duration of the disease was one third longer and a markedly higher proportion of steroid-treated patients were in the group with nail fold lesions. The incidence of nail fold lesions was higher in male rheumatoid arthritis patients than in female patients: 14.6 % and 4.6 % respectively. An overall incidence of 7.9 % was observed. This incidence is considered as the true incidence of digital arteritis in rheumatoid arthrits.