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Capillaroscopy

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Assessment of Preclinical Organ Damage in Hypertension

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Abstract

Capillaroscopy or intravital videomicroscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique that is used for in vivo assessment of the microcirculation providing a 2-D projection of a 3-D capillary network. It generates high-contrast images, videotapes, or photographs of skin capillaries by means of television, video, and/or informatic systems. It allows the assessment of capillary morphology and capillary density (traditional capillaroscopy), capillary flow velocity (dynamic capillaroscopy), and capillary red cell column width. It can also be employed in combination with sophisticated methods in order to measure red blood cell velocity, capillary pressure (i.e., cannulated capillaries using micropipettes and micropressure devices), and transcapillary diffusion (capillary permeability) in combination with intravenous administration of fluorescent dyes, such as sodium fluorescein or indocyanine green (fluorescence videomicroscopy or fluorescence angiography), in order to evaluate the heterogeneity of capillary flow distribution or to disclose structures that cannot be seen with traditional capillaroscopy (such as capillary aneurisms), thus allowing comprehensive physiological and pharmacological studies in humans.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Clinica Medica, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25121, Italy

    Enrico Agabiti Rosei & Damiano Rizzoni

  2. Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25121, Italy

    Carolina De Ciuceis

Authors
  1. Enrico Agabiti Rosei
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  2. Carolina De Ciuceis
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  3. Damiano Rizzoni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Enrico Agabiti Rosei .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Enrico Agabiti Rosei

  2. IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy

    Giuseppe Mancia

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Rosei, E.A., De Ciuceis, C., Rizzoni, D. (2015). Capillaroscopy. In: Agabiti Rosei, E., Mancia, G. (eds) Assessment of Preclinical Organ Damage in Hypertension. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15603-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15603-3_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15602-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15603-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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