Raynaud’s Syndrome: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate Raynaud’s syndrome:

Symptoms of primary Raynaud’s syndrome.

  • Seizure-like, painful decreased blood flow to the fingers/toes [triggers: cold, wet, emotional stress].
  • If necessary, numbness
  • Symmetrical affection; fingers II-V
  • Trophic disorders [none]
  • Maximum duration 30 minutes

Symptoms of secondary Raynaud’s syndrome

  • Seizure-like, painful decreased blood flow to fingers/toes [trigger: none].
  • If applicable, numbness
  • Asymmetric affection, fingers and toes.
  • Trophic disorders [common; fingertip necrosis]

Associated symptoms:

  • Beau lines (synonym: Beau reil cross grooves) -cross grooves of the nails.
  • Yellow fingernails syndrome (yellow-nails; Yellow-nail syndrome) – yellowish discolored nails.
  • Koilonychie (spoon nails) – nail change with trough-shaped depression and increased fragility of the nail plate.

One can distinguish the following three phases (tricolor phenomenon) of Raynaud’s attack:

  1. Paleness (white), due tofunctional vasospasm (spasmodic constriction of a blood vessel) and the blood emptiness.
  2. Cyanosis (blue), due toincreased oxygen depletion due to capillary and venous paralysis (= ischemia/deficient oxygen supply).
  3. Rubor (red), painful due torelease of spasm with reactive hyperemia (excessive blood supply).

The thumbs are typically not affected!

Warning signs (red flags)