A total of 72 patients who were diagnosed with Raynaud’s disease and underwent CT-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation or chemical disruption of the thoracic sympathetic chain under local anesthesia between March 2012 and March 2021 were retrospectively included. Among these patients, 44 were in the radiofrequency group (Group R) and 28 were in the alcohol group (Group A). All patients were informed of the risks and possible complications of the procedure and signed an informed consent form before treatment.
Inclusion criteria were the following: (1) those who met the diagnostic criteria related to Raynaud’s disease11 (link); (2) did not obtain significant improvement after conservative measures, drugs, and acupuncture treatment, or could not tolerate adverse drug reactions; (3) those who were able to actively cooperate to complete treatment, review and follow up.
Exclusion criteria were: (1) diagnosis of combined hypothyroidism, anemia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arteriosclerosis, or hypothalamic dysfunction; (2) lack of effective contact information to achieve follow-up; (3) refusal to participate in follow-up or withdrawal from the study.
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, located in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China.