What form of Raynaud's is characterized by ischemia due to digital arterial spasm, commonly seen in young women?

Primary Raynaud's is characterized by intermittent ischemia in the fingers and sometimes toes, resulting from digital arterial spasm. It is most commonly observed in young women, often triggered by cold exposure or emotional stress. The key aspect of primary Raynaud's is that it occurs without any underlying pathological condition or secondary factor.

In this condition, the blood vessels in the digits constrict excessively in response to these triggers, leading to symptoms such as color changes in the skin (pallor, cyanosis, and redness during episodes), numbness, and pain. Since it is idiopathic and often familial, its exact cause remains unclear but is not associated with other diseases.

Other forms of Raynaud's, such as secondary Raynaud's, are associated with underlying health issues like autoimmune diseases and are usually more severe and involve more extensive areas of the body. Conditions like coarctation of the aorta and thromboangiitis obliterans pertain to distinct vascular issues that can lead to ischemia but are not categorized under Raynaud's phenomenon. Therefore, primary Raynaud's is the most accurate answer in this context, as it directly relates to the symptoms and demographic specified in the question.