RAYNAUD'S DISEASE

disease, occurring primarily in young women, in which spasms in the arteries to the fingers cause the fingertips of both hands to become first pale and then cyanoticbluishupon exposure to cold or in response to emotion. Often the fingertips become cold and numb and perspire. The fingers may ache and move awkwardly. If the attack is prolonged, the rest of the hands and the feet may be affected. The disorder, when it occurs as a complication of another disease, is termed Raynaud's phenomenon; this ordinarily affects only one hand or one or two fingers. Treatment of Raynaud's disease includes protection of the fingers from cold. Complications include ulcerations and atrophy of the fat and skin of the fingers. See also acrocyanosis.