Variations in Nailfold Capillary Bed Visualization in Schizophrenic Patients

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Abstract
Repeated examinations of nailfold capillaries with a wide-field microscope revealed that the appearance of the subpapillary plexus is not necessarily a permanent characteristic of an individual as previously reported. In this study 31 normal healthy subjects and 325 schizophrenic patients were examined by capillary microscopy; 174 of the subjects were seen repeatedly. A rating scale based on the size of the nailfold area where the subpapillary plexus could be visualized was used to score each finger of all the subjects. Photomicrographs of a smaller field that used for ratings were taken to illustrate the changes. The time interval between examinations ranged from a few days to 4 years (with a majority of patients having 6 months to 2 years between the 2 1st examinations). The most prominent changes occurred in subjects with a high initial plexus score (schizophrenics) while little change was observed in subjects with a low initial plexus score (schizophrenics and normals). Variations in the endrow loops, especially in their visible length, accompanied changes in the plexus scores.

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