The role of nail-videocapillaroscopy in early diagnosis of scleroderma.

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a clinical sign of precocious abnormal microcirculation and can be considered a major risk factor for the development of connective tissue disease, especially systemic sclerosis (SSc). Nailfold videocapillaroscopy is the most valuable tool for the early diagnosis of SSc and related disorders. It allows classification of capillary abnormalities. Scoring capillaroscopic alterations, which change significantly during patient follow-up, should be systematically used in order to monitor microangiopathy. The effectiveness of the nailfold videocapillaroscopy in allowing an early diagnosis of SSc and monitoring the progression of the disease, and its predictive value of clinical complications make it a powerful tool for clinical evaluation and research.