Background: The changes of nailfold capillaries detected by capillary microscopy is a characteristic frequently observed in systemic sclerosis. The relationship between the different capillary microscopic changes and clinical manifestation, organic disease and disease progression were studied.
Methods: Sixty-three patients were studied in whom capillary microscopy was performed and organic disease was determined by analytical and morphological examination. The presence of association between the capillary microscopic signs and clinical manifestation and disease progression were investigated by the chi-square and Fisher tests.
Results: Capillary microscopic alterations were found in 95% of the patients. The extense capillary loss was associated as statistically significant to the diffuse form of scleroderma. Statistically significant associations were not found between the different capillary microscopic signs and disease progression and organic disease (global and individual per each organ).
Conclusions: Although capillary microscopic changes are present in most scleroderma patients they are not useful in the evaluation of organ involvement of the disease. The presence of extense capillary loss is linked to worse prognosis in its association to the diffuse form of scleroderma.