Digital Arteriography in Occlusive Arterial Disease and Clubbing of the Fingers

Abstract

A study of transbrachial digital arteriography led to the development of a technique that includes the use of an intra-arterial vasodilator (tolazoline) measurement of circulation time, direct roentgenographic magnification and serial exposures of long (14 by 35-inch) films in cassettes. This technique permitted study of the fine details of digital arteriograms of 34 patients with clubbing of the fingers or peripheral occlusive arterial disease. The ulnar artery was nonopacified in 13 cases and segmental areas of nonopacification of digital arteries were seen in 17 of the entire group, in many instances in the absence of symptoms of occlusive arterial disease. The technique is recommended for more adequate study of the peripheral microangiopathies.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with lung cancer: Possible links among hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, and hypervascularization

“…The vessels had proliferated in the subcutaneous tissue of the lower leg, with their thickened walls positive for VEGF. Previous studies showed that the major findings of digital clubbing were hypervascularization and edema 11–13 . Angiography showed increases of the number and size of the vessels at the digits 12,13 .…”

Diagnosis of digital clubbing by high‐frequency ultrasound imaging

“…14 reported patients with lung cancer and clubbing in whom positron emission tomography showed increased glucose metabolism in all of the digits of the fingertips. Takaro and Hines 15 described hypervascularization of the hands of patients with clubbing using arteriography, manifested as an increase in the number and size of distal digital arteries or arteriovenous communications; however, Currie and Gallagher 16 found no difference in postmortem angiograms of the size of the vascular bed in the terminal parts of each finger between patients with and without clubbing. McPhail and Stanson 17 showed hypervascularization of a clubbed hand using contrast‐enhanced, three‐dimensional magnetic resonance angiography.…”

The Association of Raynaud Syndrome With Thromboangiitis Obliterans—A Meta-Analysis

“…27 As small blood vessels of the hands and fingers in TAO and RS change, Takaro and Hines associate both illnesses. 6 Some authors describe platelet activity in RS and in TAO. 28,29 Smoking plays not a decisive role because it is not mentioned as a relevant factor in the etiology of RS.…”

“…4 Episodes of RS may be accompanied by a variable degree of paresthesias and pain. 5 The reported prevalence 2,6 of RS in patients with TAO in the literature has been variable, ranging from 0% to 66%. However, these studies are of small scale and have shown heterogeneous results.…”