Figure 4.

Time (s) (mean ± standard deviation) to peak capillary flow after occlusion of blood flow with a blood-pressure cuff on the upper arm for 3 minutes. Measurements were made using laser Doppler fluxmetry. In primary fibromyalgia (FM) and systemic scleroderma (SSc) patients, the time to peak in the lateral epicondyle was longer than in healthy controls (Co). In SSc patients, the times to peak in the second and third fingertips were longer than those in FM patients and healthy controls. *P < 0.001 in comparison with Co; °P < 0.05 in comparison with Co and with FM patients; ⁺P < 0.05 in comparison with Co and with FM or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.