Raynaud’s phenomenon Health Dictionary

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Raynaud’s Phenomenon: From 1 Different Sources

A circulatory disorder affecting the fingers and toes that shares the mechanism, symptoms, and signs of Raynaud’s disease but results from a known underlying disorder.

Possible causes include arterial diseases, such as atherosclerosis; connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis; and various drugs, such as beta-blocker drugs.

The disorder is an occupational disorder of people who use pneumatic drills, chain saws, or vibrating machinery; it is sometimes seen in typists, pianists, and others whose fingers suffer repeated trauma.

Treatment is the same as for Raynaud’s disease, along with treatment of the underlying disorder.

Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Raynaud’s Disease

A disorder of the blood vessels in which exposure to cold causes the small arteries supplying the fingers and toes to contract suddenly. This cuts off blood flow to the digits, which become pale. The fingers are more often affected than the toes. The cause is unknown, but young women are most commonly affected.

On exposure to cold, the digits turn white due to lack of blood. As sluggish blood flow returns, the digits become blue; when they are warmed and normal blood flow returns, they turn red. During an attack, there is often tingling, numbness, or a burning feeling in the affected fingers or toes. In rare cases, the artery walls gradually thicken, permanently reducing blood flow. Eventually painful ulceration or even gangrene may develop at the tips of the affected digits.

Diagnosis is made from the patient’s history. Treatment involves keeping the hands and feet as warm as possible. Vasodilator drugs or calcium channel blockers may be helpful in severe cases. (See also Raynaud’s phenomenon.)... raynaud’s disease

Raynaud’s Disease

So called after Maurice Raynaud (1834–81), the Paris physician who published a thesis on the subject in 1862. This is a condition in which the circulation (see CIRCULATORY SYSTEM OF THE BLOOD) becomes suddenly obstructed in outlying parts of the body. It is supposed to be due to spasm of the smaller arteries in the affected part, as the result of them responding abnormally to impuilses from the SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. Its effects are increased both by cold and by various diseases involving the blood vessels.

Symptoms The condition is most commonly con?ned to the occurrence of ‘dead ?ngers’ – the ?ngers (or the toes, ears, or nose) becoming white, numb, and waxy-looking. This condition may last for some minutes, or may not pass o? for several hours, or even for a day or two.

Treatment People who are subject to these attacks should be careful in winter to protect the feet and hands from cold, and should always use warm water when washing the hands. In addition, the whole body should be kept warm, as spasm of the arterioles in the feet and hands may be induced by chilling of the body. Su?erers should not smoke. VASODILATORS are helpful, especially the calcium antagonists. In all patients who do not respond to such medical treatment, surgery should be considered in the form of sympathectomy: i.e. cutting of the sympathetic nerves to the affected part. This results in dilatation of the arterioles and hence an improved blood supply. This operation is more successful in the case of the feet than in the case of the hands.... raynaud’s disease

Bell’s Phenomenon

the normal outward and upward rotation of the eyes that occurs when the lids are closed, but not during blinking. [Sir C. Bell]... bell’s phenomenon

Dawn Phenomenon

(Somogyi effect) the phenomenon of high fasting blood-sugar levels in the morning due to an unrecognized hypoglycaemic episode during the night in a person with diabetes. The low blood sugar has resulted in an outpouring of regulatory hormones, such as adrenaline and glucagon, which have raised the blood sugar to supranormal levels by the time of waking. It is important to recognize the cause, since increasing the evening insulin dose, thinking this will bring the morning sugars down, could actually cause a more severe nocturnal hypoglycaemic attack, which the body may not be able to counteract: coma might ensue. The condition can be tested for by measuring blood sugars at the time of the assumed low level.... dawn phenomenon

Jod–basedow Phenomenon

a collection of symptoms that includes skin rash, conjunctivitis, salivary gland inflammation, and hyperthyroidism due to the intake of high doses of iodine (German Jod, hence the name). [K. A. von Basedow (1799–1854), German physician]... jod–basedow phenomenon

Kernohan’s Phenomenon

(Kernohan’s syndrome) *hemiplegia that is *ipsilateral to the brain lesion that caused it, due to pressure of the lesion (which is often a haematoma) on surrounding structures in the brain. It is unusual because normally a lesion of the brain causes dysfunction in the *contralateral limbs. [J. W. K. Kernohan (20th century), US pathologist]... kernohan’s phenomenon

Koebner Phenomenon

(isomorphic response) a phenomenon that occurs in skin diseases, especially psoriasis and lichen planus, in which the characteristic lesions of the disease appear in linear form in response to such trauma as cuts, burns, or scratches. [H. Koebner (1834–1904), German dermatologist]... koebner phenomenon

On–off Phenomenon

the rapid alternation between jerky uncontrolled movements (on) and very limited or no movement (off) most often seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease who have been undergoing long-term treatment with levodopa.... on–off phenomenon

Pulfrich Phenomenon

perception of the lateral motion of an object in the visual field as having a depth component, due to a relative difference in signal timings between the two eyes. It often occurs spontaneously in several diseases affecting the eyes, such as cataract, *retrobulbar neuritis, and multiple sclerosis. [C. Pulfrich (20th century), German physicist]... pulfrich phenomenon

R On T Phenomenon

(in *electrocardiography) the superimposition of an R wave (ventricular *depolarization) on the T wave (ventricular *repolarization) of the preceding heartbeat. It may trigger ventricular fibrillation. See QRS complex; Q–T interval; S–T segment.... r on t phenomenon

Tullio Phenomenon

dizziness induced by exposure to sound. It is seen in various conditions of the inner ear, including *Ménière’s disease and *superior canal dehiscence syndrome. [P. Tullio (1881–1941), Italian biologist]... tullio phenomenon

Uhthoff Phenomenon

the worsening of neurological symptoms, including vision, in demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, when the body becomes overheated in hot weather or by exercise, fever, or saunas and hot tubs. [W. Uhthoff (1853–1927), German ophthalmologist]... uhthoff phenomenon

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