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What is a nailfold test, is it for blood vessels?
Does anyone know what a nail fold test is... (called nailfold capillaroscopy)? The skin by my cuticles (nailfolds) is red, and my palms and soles of my feet get red when I walk. The doctor sent me to a apecialist (rheumatologist) who put a glob of jello like stuff on my cuticles and looked at them in a microscope.
IS THIS THE RIGHT WAY THEY DO THE TEST? I GOOGLED IT, AND READ THAT A DROP OF OIL IS USED ON THE CUTICLES...NOT A MARBLE SIVE GLOB OF JELLO LIKE MATERIAL!
I think the specialist did the test wrong, and now my doctor said the testy was normal...(but the specialist said there were "some dialated loops.") What is that. What does that mean? And WHY are my cuticles red and why do my feet and palms get red when I walk. If I raise my arms up, the redness goes away in my hands. I also have have pressure in my chest, and my leg muscles hurt and get heavy when I walk, and gets better when I sit down. I can not walk too long, and I feel sick and tired.
What is wrong with me? The doctors do not seem to care. I am a female-age 59.
IS THIS THE RIGHT WAY THEY DO THE TEST? I GOOGLED IT, AND READ THAT A DROP OF OIL IS USED ON THE CUTICLES...NOT A MARBLE SIVE GLOB OF JELLO LIKE MATERIAL!
I think the specialist did the test wrong, and now my doctor said the testy was normal...(but the specialist said there were "some dialated loops.") What is that. What does that mean? And WHY are my cuticles red and why do my feet and palms get red when I walk. If I raise my arms up, the redness goes away in my hands. I also have have pressure in my chest, and my leg muscles hurt and get heavy when I walk, and gets better when I sit down. I can not walk too long, and I feel sick and tired.
What is wrong with me? The doctors do not seem to care. I am a female-age 59.
Best Answer
I will make a long story...short. Symptoms started in 2001... With pain in leg muscless when walking, and stiffness in my spine. It got worse over the years, and today I have trouble walking 30 minutes, and have pain and weakness in both knees. Lots of x-rays showed osteoarthritis (OA) in whole spine, knees, hands and ankles. I asked why so much OA. Is it systemic disease? And got no answer. My antibody tests were low positive and they keep changing every year. I think this is something important, and the doctors ignore it.
Blood test results that have been abnormal
ANA by EIA: 2.9 (ref: <1.5)
SSB: 1.4 (ref: 120) This was abnormal in 2011 and normal in 2009.
RF: 24.9 (low 78 (ref <63.) I ASKED FOR THIS TEST-IMMUNE COMPLEXES
LDH: 327 (ref: 100-200) I don't know what this test is, or what it means.
I feel ill, and my muscles are stiff and sore. My joints are stiff too, especially my knees It is getting difficult to climb steps, and I can NOT get in and out of the tub. So I bought a tub seat.
The doctors don't give me any answers. (The rheumatologist said I have Sjogrens.) But I think something else is wrong. Because the SSB and SSA tests changed from abnormal to normal.
And I think it has to do with the IMMUNE COMPLEXES in my blood-(a friend told me to ask for the RAJI test.) And the doctor said "it is just a lab result...it does not mean anything!" AND I DO NOT BELIEVE HIM!
I know I have Raynauds symptoms, though, because my fingers turn blue and hurt in the cold. But I am posting here to find answers as to why I feel ill, and have such trouble walking and have weakness in both knees.
I tried to keep it brief...but there is a lot more to tell...
Blood test results that have been abnormal
ANA by EIA: 2.9 (ref: <1.5)
SSB: 1.4 (ref: 120) This was abnormal in 2011 and normal in 2009.
RF: 24.9 (low 78 (ref <63.) I ASKED FOR THIS TEST-IMMUNE COMPLEXES
LDH: 327 (ref: 100-200) I don't know what this test is, or what it means.
I feel ill, and my muscles are stiff and sore. My joints are stiff too, especially my knees It is getting difficult to climb steps, and I can NOT get in and out of the tub. So I bought a tub seat.
The doctors don't give me any answers. (The rheumatologist said I have Sjogrens.) But I think something else is wrong. Because the SSB and SSA tests changed from abnormal to normal.
And I think it has to do with the IMMUNE COMPLEXES in my blood-(a friend told me to ask for the RAJI test.) And the doctor said "it is just a lab result...it does not mean anything!" AND I DO NOT BELIEVE HIM!
I know I have Raynauds symptoms, though, because my fingers turn blue and hurt in the cold. But I am posting here to find answers as to why I feel ill, and have such trouble walking and have weakness in both knees.
I tried to keep it brief...but there is a lot more to tell...
Hey jjean.
My wife had it long time ago. She was dx with Reynaud's -Primary
Your rheumy probably used a newer dermatoscope that takes a gel and not the oil. Same thing, easier for him to use.
He's trying to establish perhaps a connection to a possible secondary Reynaud's with an underlying condition such as fibro, lupus or other.
Please post with more details and history including tests and meds.
Take care,
Niko
My wife had it long time ago. She was dx with Reynaud's -Primary
Your rheumy probably used a newer dermatoscope that takes a gel and not the oil. Same thing, easier for him to use.
He's trying to establish perhaps a connection to a possible secondary Reynaud's with an underlying condition such as fibro, lupus or other.
Please post with more details and history including tests and meds.
Take care,
Niko
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Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
and /or for monitoring the progression of certain conditions.
Elevated numbers are sometimes not reliable as they may be artificially high because of meds, exercise or sample mishandling.
Many Rheumies will dx Sjogrens based on symptomology and not Lab reports, as there are too many variables. The lack of firm and consistent diagnostic procedures just adds to the confusion.
The RAJI test being not as conclusive as other tests -more testing required once positive for antigen/antibody binding- is not the first choice test for many doctors.
It is my opinion that OA is a systemic musculoskeletal disease with a definite metabolic component and a underlying infectious condition.
-Mycopathologica 2008;166:133-141
-Pedriatr. Infect. Dis.J 2008;27:1042-1043
-Arthroscopy 2009;25:106-108
An infectious disease specialist with the LLMD designation is the type of Doctor to see. He will be looking for difficult to detect infectious micro-organisms such as Pathogenic Mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma Arthriditis was actually named after the disease!-however it is only significant to RA)
Borrelia, Brucella,Mycotoxins*. Low grade chronic infectious conditions are extremely difficult to detect and dx, so the patient needs to deal only with expert specialists in this field and get tests performed only by approved reference labs such as IGENEX.
* Mycotoxins are a result of Candidiasis which could be an initiating
infectious condition.
Women are the most vulnerable to Candida infections and most likely to develop OA, yet very few make the connection.
Should you need more info please let me know or p.m me directly.
My advice does not constitute professional consultation.
Please do your own research to verify the above.
Take care
Niko