Department of Emergency Medicine

UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Visual Diagnosis

Title: What's the Diagnosis? Image by Dr. Ashley Strobel

Posted: 3/31/2014 by Haney Mallemat, MD (Updated: 4/1/2014)
Click here to contact Haney Mallemat, MD

Question

25 year-old female presents with the following. It seems to have occurred spontaneously and spontaneously resolves during her ED evaluation.

 

Answer

Answer: Raynaud phenomenon

  • Raynaud phenomenon is recurrent vasospasm of fingers or toes
  • Causes
    • Primary (e.g., external factors; such as cold temperature or stress)
    • Secondary to underlying illness, typically autoimmune disease (e.g., progressive systemic sclerosis or SLE)
  • Treatment
    • Avoid known triggers
    • Low-dose calcium channel blockers (e.g., nifedipine)
    • Topical nitroglycerine applied to areas of vasoconstriction
    • Identify and treat secondary disorders

References

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