Practical Approaches to Treatment: Case Studies

This Chapter presents several clinical situations to illustrate the approach to the management of Raynaud’s phenomenon and its complications. The management of several cases of scleroderma with recurrent episodes of RP are discussed with a goal to give guidelines to improve quality of life and prevent ischemic ulcers or loss digits. These cases provide examples of the approach of using both non-drug and drug therapy along with surgical intervention when needed. A patient with a painful toe ulcer is presented to point out the importance of recognizing and managing associated macrovascular disease that often occurs in the lower extremity. Finally, a case of vasculitis is presented to emphasize the need for early intervention and treatment directed at the underlying disease process while managing the associated vasospasm that mimics or is associated with true RP.