Unilateral Raynaud’s phenomenon with splinter haemorrhages in a male patient: A case report

Although Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) and nail splinter haemorrhages are common conditions, their simultaneous occurrence has been uncommonly reported. RP occurs as a consequence of vascular constriction, manifested by a triphasic colour change in distal extremities. Unilateral RP is an uncommon phenomenon, occurring secondary to loco-regional causes. Splinter haemorrhages occur due to the rupture of nail bed dermal capillaries. We describe a 36-year-old male patient who presented with numbness, episodic pain, and bluish discoloration involving the digits of the right hand. On examination, splinter haemorrhages were found. Doppler Ultrasonography showed biphasic colour flow with the possibility of vascular spasm. The patient symptomatically improved with medications including oral and topical vasodilators and analgesics. Splinter haemorrhages also resolved. Raynaud’s phenomenon and splinter hemorrhages are separately occurring common conditions with individual underlying causes. It is important to rule out systemic causes of splinter haemorrhages by involving cardiologists in the work up followed by adequate imaging studies.