[The usefulness of capillaroscopy for the evaluation of pulsed magnetic field therapy in patients with primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon].

INTRODUCTION Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) as a vasospastic response to cold and emotions has an impact on the quality of life. This also applies to patients with primary (idiopathic) RP. Moreover, RP may also be a factor of irreversible tissue injury manifested by ulceration or necrosis, especially in patients with connective tissue disease. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) is a recognized method for diagnosing and monitoring of microvascular abnormalities in rheumatic diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of capillaroscopy for monitoring of the therapeutic effect of low-frequency pulsed magnetic field in 44 patients with RP. MATERIAL AND METHODS Clinical examination and NVC were performed before and after 2 weeks of treatment. Low-frequency pulsed magnetic field was administered 5 days per week for 2 weeks with the Magnetronic MF-10 generator operating at 40 Hz frequency and 1.0-5.0 mT induction values. Each session lasted 10-20 minutes. RESULTS Patients with primary and secondary RP experienced a significant decrease in the number and duration of RP episodes and reported a reduction in pain on the Visual Analog Scale. Moreover, an improvement in vascular flow and reduction in interstitial edema was seen with NVC. A correlation between capillaroscopic findings and severity of RP was also observed. CONCLUSIONS Capillaroscopy is an effective method for evaluation of the effects of low-frequency pulsed magnetic field therapy on the microcirculation in patients with primary and secondary RP. Further prospective studies on the effect of this therapy on capillaroscopic abnormalities in RP patients are needed.