Telangiectasis
| Telangiectasia | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Spider veins, angioectasias |
 |
|
| Characteristic lip telangiectases. | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| ICD-10 | G11.3, I78.0, M34.1 |
| ICD-9-CM | 362.15, 448.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 27395 |
| MedlinePlus | 003284 |
| MeSH | D013684 |
Telangiectasias, also known as spider veins, are small dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin or mucous membranes, measuring between 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter.
These dilated blood vessels can develop anywhere on the body but are commonly seen on the face around the nose, cheeks, and chin. Dilated blood vessels can also develop on the legs, although when they occur on the legs, they often have underlying venous reflux or "hidden varicose veins" (see "Venous reflux" below). When found on the legs, they are found specifically on the upper thigh, below the knee joint, and around the ankles.
Many patients who suffer with spider veins seek the assistance of physicians who specialize in vein care or peripheral vascular disease. These physicians are called vascular surgeons or phlebologists. More recently, interventional radiologists have started treating venous problems.
Some telangiectasias are due to developmental abnormalities that can closely mimic the behaviour of benign vascular neoplasms. They may be composed of abnormal aggregations of arterioles, capillaries, or venules. Because telangiectasias are vascular lesions, they blanch when tested with diascopy.
Telangiectasia is a component of the CREST variant of scleroderma, also known today as limited scleroderma (CREST is an acronym that stands for calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia).
The causes of telangiectasia can be divided into congenital and acquired factors.
Goldman states that "numerous inherited or congenital conditions display cutaneous telangiectasia". These include:
In the past, people used to think that leg varicose veins or telangectasia were caused by high venous pressure or "venous hypertension". However it is now understood that venous reflux disease is usually the cause of these problems (see above for reference for "venous reflux".
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