Şerife Şeyda Zengin ACEMOĞLU, İpek TÜRK
Rheumatology Quarterly - 2026;4(3):155-163
Objective: This study decisively analyzes capillaroscopy data from both healthy individuals and patients with systemic sclerosis, highlighting the differences between their dominant and non-dominant hands. Methods: The study comprised 117 healthy volunteers and 116 patients with systemic sclerosis, all recruited from a single center. Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed on 8 fingers (excluding the thumbs) at a magnification of 200x. Nailfold capillaroscopy data of the fingers of healthy and systemic sclerosis individuals were compared within their groups. Results: It has been observed that specific findings typically associated with systemic sclerosis were also present in healthy individuals. These findings appeared numerically more common in the dominant hand. In healthy volunteers, hemorrhage and neoangiogenesis were observed more frequently in the fingers of the dominant hand compared to the non-dominant hand. Additionally, while crossing and tortuosity were more commonly noted in the dominant hand (P = .056 for crossing; P = .703 for tortuosity). Conclusion: Abnormal capillaroscopy findings indicate microangiopathy, but this study shows they can also be seen in healthy individuals. Furthermore, this study shows that these findings are more frequent and pronounced in the dominant hand. This study is the first and only study in the literature to compare nailfold capillaroscopy features between the dominant and non-dominant hands.
