Contribution to occupational angiopathy diagnosis using special examination method

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Vascular Physiology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Professional diseases, including vibration-induced diseases (VD) and extremity overload diseases (EOD), pose significant health risks.
• Vibration exposure (EV) can lead to vascular and neurological impairments in workers.
• Accurate diagnosis and assessment of these conditions are crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate non-invasive methods for diagnosing vibration-induced diseases (VD).
• To compare vascular responses in workers exposed to vibration (EV) versus controls.
• To assess the utility of radionuclide imaging in differentiating vascular changes in VD and EOD.

Main Methods:

• Digital laser Doppler flowmetry and continuous digital blood pressure monitoring were used in 104 EV and 25 controls.
• Local cooling tests (Rejsek method) and postocclusive hyperemic tests were performed.
• Radionuclide clearance and cumulative tests (99mTc-pertechnetate) were employed for comparison.

Main Results:

• Workers exposed to vibration (EV) exhibited prolonged vasoconstriction and significantly different digital blood pressure reactions post-cooling compared to controls.
• Postocclusion hyperemic tests indicated good functional vascular capacity in EV.
• Non-invasive findings correlated well with radionuclide imaging results.

Conclusions:

• Digital laser Doppler flowmetry and blood pressure monitoring are valuable non-invasive tools for assessing vascular changes in vibration-induced diseases (VD).
• Radionuclide cumulative tests can aid in differentiating angiospastic and angioparalytic changes in hand angiopathies associated with VD and EOD.
• These methods offer a reliable approach to diagnosing and characterizing occupational vascular conditions.