Nailfold capillaroscopy in Behçet disease, performed using videodermoscopy

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Rheumatology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Nailfold capillaroscopy is a diagnostic tool for microvascular involvement in various rheumatic and extrarheumatic conditions.
• Behçet disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder with potential vascular complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nailfold capillary alterations in Behçet disease (BD) patients using nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC).
• To assess the utility of NVC in detecting microvascular changes specific to BD.

Main Methods:

• Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed on 40 BD patients and 40 healthy controls using a videodermatoscope (Molemax II, ×30 magnification).
• Capillary density, distribution, and morphology (enlargement, tortuosity, microhemorrhages, avascular areas) were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in capillary dilatation and microhemorrhages were observed between BD patients and healthy controls (P < 0.05).
• Enlarged capillaries were found in 14 BD patients, microhemorrhages in 6, and avascular areas in 3.
• Capillaroscopic findings were not correlated with patient sex or clinical characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) identified specific nailfold capillary changes in patients with Behçet disease.
• NVC demonstrates potential as a valuable method for assessing microvascular damage in BD.