Open hairpins rising from a winding network

Long hairpin capillaries with narrow apices and occasional lateral bends. The deeper vessels have more curved courses.

Image details

Pattern: Tortuous capillaries
Author or contributor: Borja Gracia Tello
Hallmarks: Tortuous capillariesUnequal capillary calibers

Magnification: 200×
Device: Optilia Digital Capillaroscope
Field of view (W × H): ≈ 1.71 × 1.28 mm

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Teaching point

Density is the number of visible capillaries per linear millimeter in the distal row.

Clinical caveat

This image illustrates a visual finding and should be interpreted with acquisition quality, distribution across fingers, clinical context, and serology when relevant.

Use and licensing

Third-party image. Refer to the credits and any image-specific terms of use.

CC BY 4.0

Creator: Borja Gracia Tello

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Suggested attribution

Open hairpins rising from a winding network — Borja Gracia Tello, via Capillaroscopy.com.
CC BY 4.0.
Source: https://capillaroscopy.com/en/library/gracia-tello-tortuous-029/
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Related images

Back to atlas

A field from the normal reference study, showing the distal row of narrow loops. Use the full study to compare density and shape across fingers.

Normal reference: distal capillary row

Dark hemorrhagic deposits alongside capillary loops in the nonspecific reference study. Hemorrhage alone does not define a scleroderma pattern.

Nonspecific pattern: hemorrhagic field

Hairpin capillaries with rounded apices of different widths. The deeper vascular network is visible.

A capillary row above the deeper vascular network

Slender capillaries with rounded apices and mildly tortuous limbs, especially right of center.

Straight apices above winding limbs