Relationship between nailfold capillary microscopy and salivary capillary basement membrane width in Raynaud's disease and progressive systemic sclerosis

To assess the relationship between a nailfold scleroderma pattern and histopathological data, we compared the results of nailfold capillaroscopy with capillary basement membrane width of labial salivary glands in 25 patients with either a Raynaud's disease (RD: 12 patients) or a progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS: 13 patients). The sensitivity of a capillaroscopic scleroderma pattern for capillary basement membrane thickness is of 75%. These results confirm the usefulness of in vivo capillary examination for the early diagnosis of PSS.