ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION. This review presents historical and current data on a non-invasive yet informative method that enables early diagnosis and prognosis of treatment outcomes for various somatic diseases. Capillaroscopy, as a method for studying microcirculation, allows for assessing the feasibility of diagnosis and treatment.

AIM. To conduct a literature review on the capillaroscopy method used in diagnosis and treatment prognosis and to identify microcirculation changes in various clinical conditions.

MATERIALS AND METODS. This article presents an overview of capillaroscopy techniques: bulbar capillaroscopy, nailbed capillaroscopy, and periodontal capillaroscopy for various clinical entities, their feasibility, and diagnostic results.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Bulbar capillaroscopy is informative for systemic and vascular diseases, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and others. Nailfold capillaroscopy is reliably indicated for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases, such as Raynaud's syndrome and Raynaud's disease. This periodontal examination method is relevant for studying pathological processes and the oral mucosa, clarifying the diagnosis, and predicting the reparative potential of periodontal  microcirculation.

CONCLUSION. Capillaroscopy as a microcirculation method is non-invasive, painless, and highly compliant in patients with chronic systemic diseases.

KEYWORDS: microcirculation, microvasculature, capillaroscopy, connective tissue dysplasia, clinical presentation, diagnostics, treatment

For citation: Fokina N.M., Santrosyan A.A., Popova I.V. Capillaroscopy as a Method for Studying Microcirculation in  Medical Practice: A Review. Comorbidity Neurology. 2026; 3 (2): 42–51. https://doi.org/10.62505/3034-185x-2026-3-2-42-51

*For correspondence: Anna A. Santrosyan, Dentist-Orthodontist, Faculty Member of the Department of Orthodontics, Russian Medical University, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: anna.aikazovna@gmail.com.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Natalya M. Fokina, Ph.D. Sci. (Med.), Russian Medical University; Reaviz Medical University, Moscow, Russia. E-mail: nfokina29@list.ru. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2450-0395

Anna A. Santrosyan, Dentist-Orthodontist, Faculty Member of the Department of Orthodontics, Russian Medical University, Moscow, Russia. E-mail: anna.aikazovna@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7203-8276 

Inessa V. Popova, Ph.D. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor of the Department of Orthodontics, Russian Medical University, Moscow, Russia. 

Author contributions. All authors confirm the compliance of their authorship, according to international ICMJE criteria (all authors made a significant contribution to the development of the concept, research and preparation of the article, read and approved the final version before publication). Special contributions: Fokina N.M. – data curation, formal analysis, writing – original draft, review & editing; Santrosyan A.A., Popova I.V. – data curation, writing – original draft, review & editing. 

Funding. This study was not supported by any external sources of funding.

Disclosure. The authors declare no apparent or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.

The content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

©2026. Natalya M. Fokina, Anna A. Santrosyan, Inessa V. Popova