Aspects of nailfold capillaroscopy in children and young people with rheumatic disease

Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed in children and young people with rheumatic disease (42 patients with a variety of childhood rheumatic diseases) and 30 normal control subjects. Distinctive morphologic abnormalities with capillary enlargement, megacapillary and dropout of surrounding structures were noted in two groups: patients with childhood dermatomyositis (DM) and with scleroderma (SD). Capillary abnormalities were found in all 4 patients affected by systemic disease and in none of 7 patients with localized scleroderma. Some minor atypical capillary morphology were observed in normal individuals (37%) but the enlarged capillaries, especially megacapillaries were not found.