The effect of vibration exposure on the function of arteriole and artery of the finger was investigated in 10 men with vibration-induced white finger (VWF), 9 men with same exposure and no Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) (HAV), and 10 male controls (MC). The results were compared with the findings in 16 men with chemotherapy-induced RP (CRP) and 16 men with same therapy and no RP (CVB). Finger systolic blood pressure was measured with cuff and strain gauge technique at 30 o C and 10 o C during body cooling. The arteriolar autoregulation of skin capillary blood flow in the finger was tested by raising the finger 20 cm above heart level. The washout of a 133 Xe depot of the finger skin was measured by a scintillation detector before, during and after the postural manoeuvre. The test was repeated three minutes after an ipsilateral hand vibration (L h,w = 130 dB during 3 minutes).

Impairment of the autoregulation was a late-effect 4-9 years after the chemotherapy in both CRP and CVB (p<0.05). A normal autoregulation was measured in VWF and HAV (p>0.10). An impairment of the normal autoregulation was a transitory effect of the short term vibration in VWF, HAV, and MC (p<0.01). An exaggerated arterial reaction to cold was found in VWF and CRP (p<0.05). The attack of RP may be mediated through an exaggerated sympathetic nervous stimulus in CRP and possibly also in VWF.