Nailfold video capillaroscopy in psoriasis. An ongoing study and review of literature

Anca Gherasim⁽¹⁾, Teodora Ganea^(1,*), Laura Radu⁽²⁾, Diana Goglea⁽²⁾, Andra Miu⁽²⁾, Daniela Nestor⁽²⁾, Virginia Chitu⁽²⁾, Gabriela Turcu⁽²⁾, Razvan Adrian Ionescu^(1,3)

1)3rd Internal Medicine Department, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
2)1st Dermatology Department, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
3)Internal Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania

Background. Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) has emerged as a valuable tool for assessing microvascular abnormalities in various autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis. This study comprises a literature review of NVC findings in psoriasis patients, followed by an ongoing prospective non-randomized, longitudinal cohort study with a cross-sectional component aimed at elucidating the relationship between NVC changes and clinical phenotypes of psoriasis, treatment strategies, and other relevant factors.
Methods. A systematic search of PubMed for articles published between 1978 and 2024, resulted in 7 relevant studies. Key aspects of NVC were reviewed. The ongoing study is a single-center, prospective longitudinal cohort study with a cross-sectional component conducted at a tertiary hospital, involving NVC assessment in biopsy-diagnosed psoriasis patients and control groups.
Results. The literature review revealed varied findings regarding capillary density, dimensions, morphology, and hemorrhages in psoriasis patients, indicating the complexity of microvascular changes associated with the disease. Preliminary findings from the ongoing study suggest various abnormalities, with no evidence of scleroderma pattern.
Conclusion. The systematic review highlights the need for further research to elucidate the role of NVC in monitoring disease progression and treatment response in psoriasis. Preliminary findings from the ongoing study suggest promising insights into NVC changes in psoriasis patients. Further analysis and validation of these findings are warranted.

Keywords: Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC), Psoriasis, Psoriatic arthritis, Microvascular abnormalities

Corresponding author(s): Teodora Ganea, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 19-21 Stefan cel Mare road, bldg. "E”, Ground-floor, e-mail: teodora.ganea14@gmail.com