Objective relief of vasospasm by glyceryl trinitrate in secondary Raynaud's phenomenon

An objective response to topical glyceryl trinitrate was shown by digital plethysmography in a study of 17 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Improvement was significant (P less than 0.005) in those in whom the disease was secondary to an underlying connective tissue disorder. The response suggests that the effect of this drug is mediated locally.