The Evaluation of Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy findings in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with and without Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic hyperglycemic state and is associated with microvascular structural alterations. This study aimed to investigate the diameters of capillary loops and morphostructural changes using nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) in patients with type 2 DM with and without diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: This cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted in patients with type 2 DM who were followed in outpatient clinics of ophthalmology and internal medicine. General demographic data were collected from patients. An ophthalmologist examined all patients in terms of DR. A rheumatologist blinded to the clinical data performed NVC. The diameters of apical, arterial, and venous loop of capillaries were measured, and the microvascular changes of capillaries were scored. RESULTS: In this study, 44 patients with type 2 DM with DR (47.7% males) and 20 patients with type 2 DM without DR (55% males) were included. In our study, patients with type 2 DM with DR had more frequent capillary hemorrhage, more frequent ectasia, more frequent giant capillary, and more frequent neo-angiogenesis than patients with type 2 DM without DR. However, these findings were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Further controlled studies with large sample size are needed to determine the characteristic NVC findings of DR in patients with type 2 DM.

Computerized nailfold video‐capillaroscopy in type 2 diabetes: A cross‐sectional study on 102 outpatients

“…This pathophysiological phenomenon generates crossing capillaries, one of the first signs of capillary adaptation. Another study confirmed an elevated frequency of branched/ramified capillaries and TOR in T2D 18 . As recently reviewed by Maldonado et al, 19 unusual nailfold capillaroscopic patterns (such as TOR, ECT, AVA, and BIZ) can also be identified in individuals with diabetes mellitus.…”

<p>Clinical Significance of Diabetic Dermatopathy</p>

“…This investigation tool can help study vasculature in relatively early stage of diabetes and have prospects for further study in dermopathy patients and associate findings with retinopathy. 27 Also, infrared thermography studies can be done to evaluate the difference in temperature in the lesion and normal skin as there is a probability that higher…”

Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy for Non-Invasive Assessment of Microcirculation and Prognostic Correlation with Endothelial Dysfunction, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Non-HLA Antibodies in Heart Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study

“…In addition, earlier studies have also shown significant changes of the NVC pattern in patients with diabetes mellitus. Indeed, it appears that NVC allows for the assessment of the advancement of microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus and that NVC also indicates the presence of other complications, e.g., retinopathy [ 41 , 46 , 47 ]. The NVC pattern may also be influenced by other traditional CVD risk factors, such as arterial hypertension or dyslipidemia [ 48 , 49 ], as well as sleep apnea [ 48 ] and lifestyle [ 50 ].…”