Teleangiectasia I78.8

The term was first used by Graf in 1807.

Permanently dilated skin capillaries visible to the naked eye with a diameter of =/< 0.1 cm. Teleangiectasias are still visible to the naked eye from a distance of about 2 m.

Teleangiectasias disappear under moderate glass spatula pressure. They are listed along with reticular varicosities (>0.2cm), when localized to the lower extremity, in the CEAP classification under C1 (clinic) as signs of early cutaneous varicosis.

Teleangiectasias may be localized, disseminated, or systematized.

Six clinical forms are distinguished:

• Linear or sinusoidal telangiectasia
• Single branched telangiectasia
• Reticular branching telangiectasia
• Homogeneous patchy telangiectasia
• Punctate telangiectasia
• Nevus araneus (spider naevus) with centrally pulsating vessel.

Teleangiectasias occur

- in the context of congenital nevi (primary telangiectasia) or

- secondary acquired / idiopathic without recognizable cause or

- monitoric in systemic diseases or

- reactive in primary cutaneous diseases.

Diseases characterized by telangiectasia:

• Adnexal carcinoma, cystic
• Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum
• Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum, idiopathic
• Angioma serpiginosum
• Ataxia teleangiectatica
• Senile atrophy (skin of old age)
• Atrophy of the skin caused by corticosteroids (steroid skin)
• Basal cell carcinoma
• Beta-mannosidosis
• Berlin syndrome
• Bloom syndrome
• Crest syndrome
• Cutis marmorata teleangiectatica congenita
• Dermatomyositis
• Dyskeratosis congenita
• Erysipelas carcinomatosum
• Erythrosis interfollicularis colli
• Fawcett plaques
• Goltz-Gorlin syndrome
• Granulomatosis disciformis chronica et progressiva
• Harber syndrome
• Carcinoid syndrome
• Keloid
• Keratosis actinica
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Lipatrophy after glucocorticoid injections
• Lupus erythematosus chronicus discoides
• Lupus erythematosus, systemic
• Lymphadenosis cutis benigna
• Photodamage of the skin
• Mastocytosis, systemic
• Metageria
• mycosis fungoides
• Myxoedema, diffuse
• Mucinosis, cutaneous
• Nevoid telangiectasia syndrome
• Nevus araneus
• Nevus teleangiectaticus
• Naevus flammeus
• Spitz nevus
• Necrobiosis lipoidica
• Parakeratosis variegata
• Parapsoriasis en plaques, large focus type
• Poikiloderma
• Porphyria cutanea tarda
• Progeria
• Pyoderma faciale
• Radiodermatitis chronica
• REM syndrome
• Rosacea
• Rothmund's syndrome
• Rubeosis steroidica
• Sahlian vein ring
• Sarcoidosis
• Pregnancy
• Scleroderma, progressive systemic
• Scleroedema adultorum Buschke
• Pitch skin
• Steroid skin
• Teleangiectasia hereditaria haemorrhagica (M. Osler)
• Teleangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans
• Teleangiectasia syndrome, naevoides
• Thomson syndrome
• Trichoepithelioma
• Varicosis (formation of spider veins)
• Cheek telangiectasia, familial
• xeroderma pigmentosum
• Cylindromas.

1. Allegra C et al (Union of Phlebology Working Group) (2003) The "C" of CEAP: suggested definitions and refinements: an International Union ofPhlebology
   conference of experts. J Vasc Surg 37:129-131.
   
2. Pannier F et al (2010) Cutaneous Varicose veins. In: T Noppeney, H Nüllen Diagnosis and therapy of varicosis. Springer Medicine Publishing House Heidelberg S 150 -153