Telangiectasia refers to a condition in which your tiny blood vessels or widened venules cause red lines or patterns on your skin. These threadlike lines form gradually and appear in clusters. They are called ‘spider veins’ sometimes because of their weblike and fine appearance.
Telangiectasia appears commonly in areas that can be seen easily such as eyes, lips, fingers, cheeks, and nose. They lead to discomfort. Some people consider them unattractive. Many people choose the option of removing telangiectasias.
Doctors remove them by causing damage to certain vessels that force telangiectasia to scar or collapse. It decreases the red patterns or marks that appear on your skin. The beginning of telangiectases can be a symptom of serious illness.
For example, the genetic condition hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia leads to telangiectases that can prove life-threatening for people. It is a rare condition.
Telangiectases that are the result of HHT usually appear in vital organs like the liver instead of the skin. They may burst sometimes. It leads to massive bleeding or hemorrhages.
Symptoms
Telangiectasia can be a cause of discomfort for people. They are not life-threatening usually but some people may not like their appearance. They develop slowly. Some beauty and health products cause irritation to the skin such as sponges and abrasive soaps.
Symptoms include:
- Itching
- Threadlike red patterns or marks on the area of skin
- Pain (associated with pressure on venules)
HHT symptoms include:
- Seizures
- Small strokes
- Port-wine stain birthmark
- Breath shortness
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Dark or red-black blood in stools
Causes
Doctors do not know the exact cause of telangiectasia. Researchers believe that various causes contribute to telangiectases development. These causes may be environmental or genetic or a combination of both of these conditions.
Researchers believe that the cause of most cases of telangiectasia is chronic exposure to extreme temperatures and sun. The reason is that they appear in the specific area of your body where it is exposed to air and sunlight.
Following are the other possible causes.
- Alcoholism: It can affect the blood flow in vessels that causes the diseases of the liver.
- Pregnancy: It exerts greater pressure on venules.
- Aging: Blood vessels can become weak.
- Scleroderma: Contraction and hardness of the skin
- Rosacea: enlarge venules at the area of the face that create a flushed appearance in the nose and cheeks
- Habitual Use Of Corticosteroid: Make skin weak and thin
- Dermatomyositis: Inflame muscle tissues and skin
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: It can enhance the sensitivity to extreme temperatures and skin
Genetic causes are the common reason for the occurrence of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. People inherit this disease from one of their parents. Five genes are considered for causing HHT. Three genes are known for the development of HHT.
People with this disease get one mutated and one normal gene or two mutated genes. One mutated gene is enough to cause the disease.
Risk Factors
Telangiectasia is a common disorder of the skin that exists even in healthy people. But some people are more vulnerable to develop the symptoms of telangiectases as compared to others. This includes the people who:
- Are pregnant
- Work outdoors
- Sit and stand throughout the day
- Misuse alcohol
- Use corticosteroids
- Are older
- Have scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, or rosacea
Diagnosis
Doctors rely on certain clinical symptoms of the disease. This disease is visible easily from threadlike red patterns or lines it creates on human skin. Doctors sometimes confirm that the person has no underlying disorder. Diseases that are linked with telangiectasia are:
- Xeroderma Pigmentosum
- Spider Angiomas
- HHT or Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome
- Sturge-Weber Disease
HHT leads to the formation of blood vessels that are abnormal. It is called arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). It can occur in different areas of the human body. AVMs allow direct contact between the veins and arteries without intervening capillaries.
It leads to severe bleeding or hemorrhage in people. It can be life-threatening if it occurs in the area of the liver, brain, or lungs. Doctors perform CT scans or MRIs to diagnose the condition of HHT. They examine your body from inside for abnormalities or bleeding.
Treatment
The focus of treatment is the improvement of the skin. Different methods of treatment are given below.
- Sclerotherapy
- Laser Therapy
HHT treatment is given below.
- Surgical treatments
- Laser therapy is used to stop bleeding in people
- Embolization in order to block or close any blood vessel
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