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

Follow me on Twitter (@criticalcarenow) or Google+ (+criticalcarenow)