Telangiectasia

Considerations:
Telangiectasia may develop anywhere within the body but can be easily seen in the skin, mucous membranes, and whites of the eyes. Telangiectasia are generally associated with a disease state or hereditary abnormality. Some telangiectasia bleed readily and cause significant problems. Telangiectasia may also occur in the brain and cause significant problems from bleeding .

Common Causes:

Note: There may be other disorders associated with telangiectasia. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for telangiectasia, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.

Home Care:

  • Call your health care professional.



Call Your Healthcare Provider If:

  • you notice enlarged vessels in the skin, mucous membranes, or eyes of your child.



What to Expect:
Telangiectasia can be a symptom of a disease. Most of those disorders can be diagnosed by history and physical examination .

Medical history questions documenting telangiectasia in detail may include:

  • Is the condition visible?
  • Where is it located exactly?
  • Do the vessels bleed easily?
    • Do they bleed spontaneously?

  • What other symptoms are also present?

Physical examination is usually limited to a dermatologic examination.

Various X-rays, CT scans or MRI scans, and liver function studies or other blood studies may be indicated; the specific tests will depend on the suspected disease.

After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to telangiectasia to your personal medical record.


Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is another name for Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. This disorder can lead to episodes of massive bleeding. In this picture we see the bleeding that has taken place under and around the fingernail, as well as other lesions around the hand.



Melasma telangiectasia - close-up of the cheek: Melasma is a relatively common condition characterized by flat brown patches, usually occurring on the face. Pregnancy or usage of oral contraceptives may precede the condition in women, but it may occur with other conditions and it can occur in males. This picture shows a close-up of a woman with melasma on the cheeks combined with telangiectasias, which is a group of dilated blood vessels.



Melasma telangiectasia on the face: Melasma is a relatively common condition characterized by brownish patches, usually occurring on the face. This picture shows a woman with melasma on the cheeks combined with telangiectasia, which is a group of dilated blood vessels.



Angioma serpiginosum appears most frequently in adolescent females and consists of small, superficial telangiectasias (vascular lesions) in the skin.