Dermatoscopic Assessment of Nail Fold Capillary Patterns in Patients of Color with Different Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases.
8 affiliations
- 1Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan.
- 2Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
- 3Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
- 4Center for Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ, USA.
- 5Rao Dermatology, New York, NY, USA.
- 6Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
- 7Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiological and Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Rome, "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
- 8Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract
Introduction
Nail fold capillaroscopy is a noninvasive tool for assessing early capillary changes in proximal nail fold capillaries in autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Handheld dermatoscopes have expanded its clinical application.Objectives
To characterize nail fold capillary patterns using dermatoscopy and evaluate their association with autoimmune connective tissue disease severity in patients with skin of color (Fitzpatrick skin types IV, V and VI).Methods
A six-month cross-sectional study was conducted at Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Ninety-six patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI and autoimmune connective tissue diseases underwent dermatoscopic evaluation (HEINE DELTA 30 Dermatoscope) and clinical assessment of disease activity.Results
Most participants were female (84.4%). The diagnoses included rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (51%), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (27%), systemic scleroderma (SSc) (17%), and dermatomyositis (DM) (5%). Capillary patterns varied significantly with disease duration (p = 0.001) and diagnosis. Normal patterns were observed in 27 patients (28.1%), nonspecific patterns in 28 patients (29.2%), and scleroderma patterns in 41 patients (42.7%). Scleroderma patterns were most frequent in those with SSC and SLE. Focal microhemorrhages (52.1%) and areas of discrete devascularization (50%) were the most prevalent microvascular findings. Capillary patterns were significantly associated with disease severity (p < 0.001).Conclusions
Dermatoscopic assessment of nail fold capillaries may provide a valuable, noninvasive biomarker of disease activity in autoimmune connective tissue diseases. This study provides valuable data on skin of color, which remains underrepresented in dermatological research.
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BibTeX
@article{ayesha2026dermatoscopic,
title = {{Dermatoscopic Assessment of Nail Fold Capillary Patterns in Patients of Color with Different Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases.}},
author = {Eman Ayesha and Sumera Hanif and Madeline Tchack and Emma Didzbalis and Maria Elisabetta Greco and Talat Akbar and Aliza Hashim and Rabia Shaukat and Hooryia Shafiq Butt and Noah Musolff and Babar Rao and Haroon Nabi},
journal = {Dermatology practical \& conceptual},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.5826/dpc.1603a6840},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42858436},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dermatoscopic Assessment of Nail Fold Capillary Patterns in Patients of Color with Different Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases.
AU - Eman Ayesha
AU - Sumera Hanif
AU - Madeline Tchack
AU - Emma Didzbalis
AU - Maria Elisabetta Greco
AU - Talat Akbar
AU - Aliza Hashim
AU - Rabia Shaukat
AU - Hooryia Shafiq Butt
AU - Noah Musolff
AU - Babar Rao
AU - Haroon Nabi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/31
JO - Dermatology practical & conceptual
DO - 10.5826/dpc.1603a6840
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42858436
AB - Introduction Nail fold capillaroscopy is a noninvasive tool for assessing early capillary changes in proximal nail fold capillaries in autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Handheld dermatoscopes have expanded its clinical application.Objectives To characterize nail fold capillary patterns using dermatoscopy and evaluate their association with autoimmune connective tissue disease severity in patients with skin of color (Fitzpatrick skin types IV, V and VI).Methods A six-month cross-sectional study was conducted at Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Ninety-six patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI and autoimmune connective tissue diseases underwent dermatoscopic evaluation (HEINE DELTA 30 Dermatoscope) and clinical assessment of disease activity.Results Most participants were female (84.4%). The diagnoses included rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (51%), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (27%), systemic scleroderma (SSc) (17%), and dermatomyositis (DM) (5%). Capillary patterns varied significantly with disease duration (p = 0.001) and diagnosis. Normal patterns were observed in 27 patients (28.1%), nonspecific patterns in 28 patients (29.2%), and scleroderma patterns in 41 patients (42.7%). Scleroderma patterns were most frequent in those with SSC and SLE. Focal microhemorrhages (52.1%) and areas of discrete devascularization (50%) were the most prevalent microvascular findings. Capillary patterns were significantly associated with disease severity (p < 0.001).Conclusions Dermatoscopic assessment of nail fold capillaries may provide a valuable, noninvasive biomarker of disease activity in autoimmune connective tissue diseases. This study provides valuable data on skin of color, which remains underrepresented in dermatological research.
SN - 2160-9381
ER -