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Paediatric Rheumatology

 

Nailfold videocapillaroscopy in healthy children and adolescents: description of normal patterns

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

  1. Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
  2. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
  3. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
  4. Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
  5. Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
  6. Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. teterreri@terra.com.br

CER8823
2016 Vol.34, N°5 ,Suppl.100
PI 0193, PF 0199
Paediatric Rheumatology

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PMID: 26940067 [PubMed]

Received: 29/07/2015
Accepted : 23/11/2015
In Press: 01/03/2016
Published: 13/10/2016

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
to describe normal patterns of nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) in healthy children and adolescents; to quantify the relationship between age and capillary dimensions, intercapillary distance and number of capillaries/mm; to evaluate the inter and intraobserver concordance.
METHODS:
Cross-sectional study including 100 healthy participants aged 5 to 18 years. Capillary dimensions (capillary loop length, capillary width and intercapillary distance) and number of capillaries/mm were evaluated in 900 capillaries using stereomicroscope under 100x magnification. Intra and inter observer agreements were tested.
RESULTS:
The capillary dimensions (mean ± SD) were: capillary loop length 278.6±60.3 μm, intercapillary distance 124.1±28.1 μm, capillary width 15.0±2.6 μm. Teenagers between 15 and 18 years had longer and more enlarged capillaries than the other age groups (p<0.001 and p=0.012 respectively). We also found a significant increase in the number of capillaries/mm with age (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between age and number of capillaries/mm, capillary length, and capillary width (p<0.001, R=0.796; p<0.001, R=0.368; p=0.004, R=0.285, respectively). There was a good intra and interobserver concordance. Enlarged capillary and avascular areas were present in 11% and 10% of capillaries respectively. A weak negative correlation was found between the intercapillary distance and the number of capillaries/mm (p=0.05; R=-0.20).
CONCLUSIONS:
There is a wide variability in the capillary morphology among healthy individuals. There was a positive correlation between age and number of capillaries/mm, capillary length, and capillary width. In addition, NVC has been shown to be a reproducible method.

Rheumatology Article