Correlations among examination findings, subjective symptoms and classification of stages in vibration syndrome.

From data collected in 1966, 1973, 1986 and 1989, we analyzed the correlations among examination findings, subjective symptoms, stages in the disorder of vibration syndrome and vibration exposure. As vibration syndrome progressed and vibration exposure accumulated, abnormality of examination findings, the prevalence of vibration induced white finger (VWF), numbness (N) and other subjective symptoms increased. Abnormality of examination findings and prevalence of subjective symptoms in the VWF(+) N(+) group were greatly different from those in the VWF(-) N(-) group. Both findings and symptoms showed closer correlations with VWF(+) than with N(+). Stages in the disorder traced the progression from VWF(-)N(-) to VWF(-)N(+), then to VWF(+)N(+/-), and finally to VWF(+/++)N(+/++). Pathophysiologically, it seems that VWF(+) and N(+) relayed many more cold and pain signals from the hand to the central nervous system. Such signals may activate autonomic nervous activity. In the recovery, subjective symptoms correlated more closely with N(+) than with VWF(+). This is because VWF involves the autonomic nervous system's hyperactivity and hypersensitivity to cold, both of which subside gradually in the recovery; N, however, involves pathological changes in nerve tissue which are irreversible.