Capillaroscopy: hemorrhages on six fingers but "totally normal picture"

[Patricia2015]

Dear all,

Yesterday I had the Capillaroscopy, the vascular assistant “scanned” four fingers on each hand (not the thumbs) with 100x enlargement and two fingers on each hand (only little fingers and ring fingers) with 300x enlargement. They asked if I am left or right handed. I’m right handed.

The person who scanned my nailfolds said I have a lot of hemorrhages.

Today I received the testresult from the doctor of internal medicine who looked at the pictures. He literally wrote down three words in the two paged Capillaroscopy result form: “totally normal picture”. And he checked the box hemorrhages but didn’t put down one word as explanation. He sent this form (not the pictures) to the hospital where I’m treated.

I looked at the pictures myself and see hemorrhages on six fingers: on the middle, ring and little fingers on both hands. Hereby a picture of my ring finger of my left hand.

I have sent the pictures to my hospital.

I’m hugely disappointed in the test result this internist concluded.

Firstly because it is, in my opinion, not normal to have so many hemorrhages that spontaneously arise on six of my 10 fingers and certainly not normal regarding all my medical issues so far. Secondly because this internist should be ashamed of daring to report three words and check one box without any explanation.

Coming Monday I will have the appointment with the specialist (doctor to be) and I’m so afraid they will just say nothing is wrong with me if their conclusion will be based on what this internist said :-(((

[misty14]

Hi Patricia

Good luck for your appointment on Monday. You certainly need to ask what are the haemorrhages and causes of them?. Be interesting what the Consultant says.X

[Purpletop]

So the 'totally normal' was in respect of the nailfolds only?

Had anyone commented on the colour of your nails and the fact that your lunulae (the little half moons at the bottom of the nails) are not really visible? From what I could see in your previous pictures the nail looked white-ish in colour right up to the top. A 'normal' nail is pink, not white - the nail bed becomes white when it isn't vascularised anymore. There is a suggestion that could be due to organ disease (heart, liver, kidney) but before you panic, it could also be due to medication, e.g. Plaquenil.

Please let us know how you get on - I think there are many of us that have similar looking nails, I for one.

As for the splinter bleeds - lupus and vasculitis can both cause them, have you had your inflammatory/lupus markers checked at the same time in case your lupus is active?