[Periungueal capillaroscopy: an easy and reliable method to evaluate all microcirculation diseases]

Nailfold capillaroscopy in diabetes mellitus: a case of neo-angiogenesis after achieving normoglycemia

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease process characterized by a chronic hyperglycemic milieu that leads to micro and macrovascular complications, including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy. During the last decade, researchers have used nail-fold capillaroscopy to study the microvascular alterations in rheumatologic diseases; however, the technology is gaining momentum in other disease processes that alter microvascular architecture. We observed a drastic improvement in the nail-fold capillary architecture in a patient with uncontrolled DM. After achieving excellent glycemic control 6 months after diagnosis, increased capillary density and evident rearrangement of the capillaries replaced the avascular areas and giant capillaries found at the time of diagnosis.

Microcirculatory assessment of vascular diseases

The term "microcirculation" refers to the terminal vascular network of the body, which includes arterioles, capillaries, venules as well as initial lymphatic vessels. Additionally, it insinuates to their unique function in thermoregulation, fluid balance, maintenance of cellular exchange, and metabolism. Disturbances of microvascular function were identified to precede macrovascular involvement in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and is the hallmark of terminal disease stages like critical limb or acral ischemia. Nevertheless, despite its obvious significance in vascular medicine assessment of microvascular function became increasingly neglected in the clinical institutions during the last decades and seems to play a subordinary role in medical education. We therefore provide an overview over relevant and clinically practicable methods to assess microcirculation in vascular medicine with critical estimations of their pros and cons and their perspectives in the future.