Raynaud’s Syndrome: Causes

Pathogenesis (disease development)

Raynaud’s syndrome refers to circulatory disorders of the hands or feet caused by vasospasm (spasm of blood vessels).

Etiology (Causes)

Primary Raynaud’s syndrome

Behavioral causes of primary Raynaud’s syndrome.

  • Cold
  • Emotions

Secondary Raynaud’s syndrome

Behavioral causes of secondary Raynaud’s syndrome.

  • Consumption of stimulants
    • Tobacco (smoking)
  • Drug use

Disease-related causes of secondary Raynaud’s syndrome.

Blood, hematopoietic organs – immune system (D50-D90).

  • Essential thrombocythemia (ET) – chronic myeloproliferative disorder (CMPE, CMPN) characterized by chronic elevation of platelets (thrombocytes).
  • Cold agglutinin syndrome – acquired disease associated with the formation of cold agglutinins (special autoantibodies).
  • Cryoglobulinemia – chronic recurrent immune complex vasculitis (immune disease of the vessels) characterized by the detection of abnormal cold precipitating serum proteins (cold antibodies).
  • Polycythaemia vera (PV) – abnormal multiplication of blood cells (particularly affected are: especially erythrocytes/red blood cells, to a lesser extent also platelets (blood platelets) and leukocytes/white blood cells); prickly itching after contact with water (aquagenic pruritus).
  • Thrombocytosis – abnormal increase in platelets (blood platelets).

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99)

  • Peripheral arterial embolism – occlusion of arteries.
  • Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAVD) – progressive narrowing or occlusion of the arteries supplying the arms/ (more commonly) legs, usually due to atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries)
  • Thrombangiitis obliterans (synonyms: endarteritis obliterans, Winiwarter-Buerger disease, Von Winiwarter-Buerger disease, thrombangitis obliterans) – vasculitis (vascular disease) associated with recurrent (recurring) arterial and venous thrombosis (blood clot (thrombus) in a blood vessel); symptoms: Exercise-induced pain, acrocyanosis (blue discoloration of the body appendages), and trophic disturbances (necrosis/tissue damage resulting from the death of cells and gangrene of the fingers and toes in advanced stages).

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

  • Collagenoses
    • CREST syndrome (calcinosis cutis, Raynaud’s syndrome, esophageal motility disorder, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia; synonym: limited systemic scleroderma, lSSc).
    • Progressive systemic sclerosis (synonym: systemic scleroderma) – disease associated with connective tissue proliferation of the skin in combination with connective tissue proliferation of internal organs.
    • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) – autoimmune disease with the formation of autoantibodies mainly against antigens of the cell nuclei, and possibly also against blood cells and other body tissues
    • Sharp syndrome – chronic inflammatory connective tissue disease, which includes the symptoms of several collagenoses.
  • Sudeck dystrophy – pain syndrome that can occur after surgery or injury.

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Plasmocytoma – systemic disease leading to malignant (malignant) proliferation of plasma cells; the disease results primarily in bone involvement and blood count changes.

Psyche – nervous system (F00-F99; G00-G99).

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

  • Hyperviscosity syndrome, e.g., in essential thrombocythemia (ET) or polycythaemia vera (PV).

Injuries, poisonings, and other consequences of external causes (S00-T98).

  • Heavy metals
  • Vibration damage

Medication