[Diagnosis and therapy of Raynaud's phenomenon in occupationally-induced vibration trauma]

Raynaud's phenomenon often represents an early symptom of collagen diseases as well as of occlusive vascular disease; it can as well be due to vibration trauma following development of mechanical lesion of the acral capillary system. A rare case of professionally acquired vibration trauma in a miner who developed vasospastic ischaemia after 20 years subterranean work is reported. Non-invasive blood-flow measurements such as thermic relaxation time, transcutaneous O2-pressure, and laser-doppler perfusion rate, represent suitable means of diagnosis and observation of the course of the disease. Combination therapy including both primary inhibition of platelet aggregation as well as improvement of rheological properties has proved to be superior to other treatment plans.