Cutaneous Capillary Changes in Lupus Erythematosus

Capillaroscopic observations in rheumatic diseases.

“…Lawler and Lumpkin (1961) observed no significant alteration in size and shape of vessels in normal skin from forearms of patients with SLE, but they did find a decrease in the total number of loops. Kurban and others (1964), using the alkaline phosphatase method, demonstrated changes in involved and non-involved skin of lupus patients; shortening of the loops and frequent branching, coiling, and double looping.…”

“…The appearance of this vascular abnormality, as seen in vivo with the capillary microscope in the 'noninvolved' skin and likewise with the electron microscope in 'non-involved' skeletal muscle, tends to support our impression and a previous suggestion (Brown, O'Leary, and Adson, 1931) that the vascular changes are forerunners of some of the other pathological features and may play a significant role in pathogenesis. This may also be true for SLE (Lawler and Lumpkin, 1961), since the abnormal microvascular formation described above occurred not only in areas of rash but also in apparently normal skin without histological evidence of inflammation (Smukler, Redisch, Messina, Hughes, and Kulka, 1967). This suggests that microangiopathy may be a basic manifestation of the disease.…”