Historical development and modern significance of capillaroscopy in the diagnosis and monitoring of microcirculatory disorders

Capillaroscopy is a non-invasive method for visualizing the microcirculatory system using modern digital equipment. This review presents the historical development of the method-from the first microscopic observations of nailfold capillaries in the 17^th century to the creation of high-precision videocapillaroscopes. Special attention is paid to the clinical application of the method in rheumatology for diagnosing systemic sclerosis and the differential diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon. The prospects of using capillaroscopy in neurological practice for assessing microcirculatory disorders in migraine and neuropathies are discussed. The importance of standardizing the method according to EULAR recommendations and the integration of artificial intelligence technologies for automating the analysis of capillaroscopic images is emphasized. Capillaroscopy demonstrates potential as an effective diagnostic tool in various fields of medicine.