[Cutaneous pulpar temperature and cold test. Predictive specificity and sensitivity in pharmaco-clinical studies]

The aim of this study was to measure the cutaneous pulpar temperature of the fingers and assess its evolution after one minute of controlateral hand immersion in a water bath at 4 degrees C and during 10 minutes after cooling. This test was carried out in 347 subjects (120 M, 227 F) divided in 5 groups: 117 healthy volunteers (49 M, 68 F) without any vascular diseases, 46 patients (5 M, 41 F) with acrocyanosis, 87 patients (19 M, 68 F) with Raynaud's phenomenon, 31 patients (24 M, 7 F) with peripheral arterial occlusive disease and 66 patients (23 M, 43 F) with other vascular diseases (high blood pressure and coronary disease). The mean initial temperature (TO) analysis in each group, showed that 2 groups, acrocyanosis and especially Raynaud's group, had a finger temperature significantly lower than the control group (27.4 +/- 4.8 degrees C 25.3 +/- 4.9 degrees C versus 30.5 +/- 4.9, p < 0.02). The cooling test showed 3 different cutaneous temperature reactions: subjects without any modification during and after immersion, subjects with a temperature decreasing after immersion and a normal rewarming after 10 minutes and subjects with a decreasing without any total recovery after 10 minutes. In the subjects with cold hands (initial temperature < 30 degrees C), this cooling test can isolate all patients with a temperature decreasing without any rewarming after 10 minutes with a specificity at 100% (no normal subject with cold hands were abnormal to this test).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)