Raynaud's disease

Ray·naud's disease

noun \rā-ˈnōz-\

Definition of RAYNAUD'S DISEASE

: a vascular disorder that is marked by recurrent spasm of the capillaries and especially those of the fingers and toes upon exposure to cold, that is characterized by pallor, cyanosis, and redness in succession usually accompanied by pain, and that in severe cases progresses to local gangrene—called also Raynaud's

Biographical Note for RAYNAUD'S DISEASE

Ray·naud \re-nō\ Maurice (1834–1881), French physician. Raynaud described the vascular disorder now known as Raynaud's disease in his thesis for a medical degree in 1862. In 1874 he published a revised version of the dissertation with additional case reports and experimental studies. He was also very much interested in the history of medicine and wrote a scholarly study of the medical profession in the time of Molière.