What is Raynauds phenomenon?
Raynaud’s phenomenon, frequently the first symptom of SSc, is an episodic self-limited and reversible vasomotor disturbance manifested as color changes bilaterally in the fingers, toes, and sometimes ears, nose, tongue, and lips. The color changes are pallor, cyanosis and then erythema (white, blue, and then red) that occur sequentially in response to environmental cold, emotional stress, or spontaneously. There does not need to be a three-color change to diagnose Raynaud’s phenomenon; episodic pallor or cyanosis that reverses to erythema or normal skin color may be all that is seen. Patients may describe symptoms of numbness, tingling, or pain on recovery.
