Is nailfold capillaroscopy useful for prognostication and evaluation of disease progression in scleroderma patients?

Nailfold capillaroscopy is most commonly used for diagnostic purposes in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), but is also useful for prognostication and evaluation of disease progression in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Nailfold capillaroscopy examines the terminal row of capillaries at the base of the fingernail in 8 digits and should be performed by a dermatoscope, stereomicroscope, or a nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) device (which, is considered the 'gold standard'). The goal of nailfold capillaroscopy for diagnostic purposes is to identify a SSc pattern, which is summarized in these two articles: Smith et al., PMID 31520797 and Radic et al., PMID 32865167.

From a prognostication and evaluation standpoint, decrease in capillar...