Encyclopedia: Raynaud's Phenomenon
Raynaud's phenomenon , in medicine, is a vasospastic disorder causing discoloration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other extremities, named for French physician Maurice Raynaud . 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 , where the phenomenon is idiopathic, and Raynaud's syndrome , where...