[Vascular reactivity to cold. Study in normal subjects and in vascular acrosyndromes]

The authors study the vascular reactivity to cold exposure in 48 normal subjects and 37 Raynaud's phenomenon (20 Raynaud's diseases, 9 digital arteritis, and 8 acrocyanosis). The haemodynamic profile of primary Raynaud's diseases is quite different: important drop in digital systolic pressure after cold (-27%), suppression of the postischemic hyperaemia (-47%). Digital arteritis has a lower digital pressure at rest (-24 mm Hg), a higher pressure gradient between the arm and the finger (30 mm Hg) and a reduced digital blood flow. The acrocyanotic hands are the coldest, the recovery time is long and the blood flow low.