Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Raynaud's phenomenon overview
Introduction
Editors-In-Chief: Asghar Fakhri, M.D., Duane S. Pinto, M.D. and C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D.
Overview
Overview
Raynaud’s phenomenon (RAY-noz), in medicine, is a vasospastic disorder causing discoloration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other extremities, named for French physician Maurice Raynaud (1834 – 1881). The cause of the phenomenon is unknown, but emotional stress and cold are classically triggers, and the discoloration follows a characteristic pattern in time: white, blue and red. It comprises both Raynaud’s disease (primary Raynaud’s), where the phenomenon is idiopathic, and Raynaud’s syndrome (secondary Raynaud’s), where it is secondary to something else.