Objective: To determine the influence of cold exposure on microvascular permeability in systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Methods: Thirteen patients with SSc were studied by dynamic fluorescence videomicroscopy under basal conditions and after exposure to cold.
Results: Exposure to cold caused a significant reduction in the interstitial concentration of sodium fluorescein (P < 0.05 to 0.001).
Conclusion: Our findings show that cold exposure has a striking effect on microvascular dynamics in SSc.