Question

A 48 year-old woman has had frequent episodes of her hands becoming pale and cold, especially in her digits. Recently, she has begun to have ulcerations on her finger tips. [Her condition is called ‘Raynaud’s disease’ and is caused by the spasmodic contraction of blood vessels (vasoconstriction) in the periphery of the body. It can be worsened by an exaggerated sensitivity of blood vessels to sympathetic nervous system input.] Answer the following:

1. What types of receptors are typically found on blood vessels?

b.    Why would selectively cutting the white ramus (preganglionic fibers) of T2-T3 possibly be curative in this woman?

Answer 1

Question no 1

Typical receptors found in blood vessel are the beta 1 , alpha and beta 2 receptors. They have the ability to constrict and dilate the blood vessel

Question no 2

The white ramus is the area of spine that takes the sympathetic nervous specific to speak the preganglionic fibers so when the sympathetic nervous system is tampered it will result in the vasodilation and reduce symptoms like pain in fingers . This will also avoid the cold and calmy hand as blood supply will increase and vasoconstriction will not frequently occur .

So it will help to avoid symptoms also called thoracic sympathectomy