Nevus araneus I78.1

Acquired vascular neoplasm with 0.2 to 1.0 cm reticular redness.

These are telangiectasias with central arterial vascular nodule and radiating capillary ectasias originating from it.

In large numbers and dense seeding, nevi aranei are indicative of severe liver disease, systemic scleroderma, or carcinoid syndrome.

Nevi aranei also occur frequently during pregnancy. They are regressible postpartum.

Mainly face and upper body, but also appearing on palms and fingers.

0.2-1.5 cm, red, textured patch of spider-web-like vascular gyrations emanating from a punctate, often slightly raised central vascular nodule. Light compression with a glass spatula reveals arterial pulsations in the feeding central vessel with fading to fully compressible periphery.

In serial cuts there is a vertically ascending arteriole in the centre. Irregularly incised capillary telangiectasias in the upper dermis.

1. Alegre-Sánchez A et al (2018) Videodermoscopy and doppler-ultrasound in spider naevi: towards a new classification? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 32:156-159.
2. Campolmi P et al. (2011) Intense pulsed light in the treatment of non-aesthetic facial and neck vascular lesions: report of 85 cases. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 25: 68-73.
3. Erceg A et al. (2010) A comparative study of pulsed 532-nm potassium titanyl phosphate laser and electrocoagulation in the treatment of spider nevi. Dermatol Surg 36:630-635