Cold Hands Syndrome Diagnosis

Diagnosis

Our first priority is to accurately identify the cause of your cold hand symptoms. In most cases, the cause is a problem in the blood vessels that only affects the hands (but also sometimes the feet). However, for a smaller population, Raynaud's disease is related to an underlying health condition that significantly affects other organ systems. In these more complex cases, our specialists can develop a treatment plan with consideration for unique concerns related to your hand condition.

Medical Assessment

We recognize the importance of developing a comprehensive understanding of each patient's medical history. Our doctors complete a thorough medical assessment to identify concurrent health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, which may affect the treatment of cold hand diseases. We offer a multi-disciplinary treatment approach by leveraging the combined expertise of our diverse physician team. In the Cold Hand Clinic, hand surgeons, rheumatologists, hematologists and radiologists work collaboratively to provide the most comprehensive assessment and care possible for people with cold hand issues.

Diagnostic Testing

Our team uses a variety of techniques to accurately diagnose vascular disorders of the hand, including:

• Laser Doppler perfusion hand imaging, a non-invasive imaging technique used to detect changes in blood flow and predict areas of concern before symptoms occur
• Nailfold capillaroscopy, a diagnostic test used to examine microscopic blood vessels in the fingers
• Angiography (arteriography), including magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA), a non-invasive imaging techniques used to map out anatomic structures in the vasculature of the hand and fingers
• Vascular ultrasound, an imaging test used to detect blockages in blood vessels
• Vascular pressure recording, a non-invasive test used to measure pressure in the blood vessels in order to assess pre-treatment disorder and measure post-treatment improvement
• Segmental and/or digital plethysmography, an advanced testing method used to locate blocked or constricted vessels by measuring and comparing changes in blood flow through different areas of the upper extremities