TeleangiectasiaI78.8

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 together with reticular varicosities (>0.2cm), when localized to the lower extremity, in the CEAP classification under C1 (clinic) as signs of early cutaneous varicosis.

Teleangiectasia may be localized, disseminated, or systematized in the setting of vascular malformation.

Six clinical forms are distinguished:

• Punctate telangiectasia
• Linear or sinusoidal telangiectasia
• Single branched telangiectasia
• Reticular branching telangiectasia
• Patchy, spatter-like telangiectasia (e.g. in progeressive scleroderma)
• Nevus araneus (spider naevus) with centrally pulsating vessel.

Teleangiectasias occur:

as primary telangiectasias

• in the context of congenital vascular malformations

• idiopathic without recognizable cause

secondary (or symptomatic) acquired telangiectasias

• exogenously induced telangiectasia (chronic UV exposure, long-term systemic or local corticosteroid therapy)
• monitor-like in systemic diseases (e.g. progressive scleroderma; liver cirrhosis)
• as a disease symptom in primary cutaneous diseases (e.g. rosacea)

Diseases characterized by telangiectasia:

• adnexal carcinoma, cystic
• angiokeratoma corporis diffusum
• Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum, idiopathic
• angioma serpiginosum
• ataxia teleangiectatica
• Senile atrophy (senile skin)
• Atrophy of the skin 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 erythematodes chronicus discoides
• Lupus erythematosus, systemic
• lymphadenosis cutis benigna
• photodamage to the skin
• Mastocytosis, systemic
• Metagerie
• mycosis fungoides
• Myxoedema, diffuse
• Mucinoses, cutaneous
• Nevoidal telangiectasia syndrome
• Nevus araneus
• teleangiectatic nevus
• Nevus flammeus
• Nevus Spitz
• necrobiosis lipoidica
• variegated parakeratosis
• Parapsoriasis en plaques, large hearth type
• Poikiloderma
• Porphyria cutanea tarda
• Progeria
• facial pyoderma
• chronic radiodermatitis
• REM syndrome
• Rosacea
• Rothmund Syndrome
• rubeosis steroidica
• Sahlischer venous corona
• Sarcoidosis
• Pregnancy
• Scleroderma, progressive systemic
• Scleroedema adultorum bushke
• 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 teleangiectasias, familial
• xeroderma pigmentosum
• Cylindromes.

Teleangiectasias are to be distinguished from veinctasias (phlebectasias). These have a larger calibre, are tortuous and are bluish or blue-red in colour. The most common phelbectasias are spider vein varicose veins, which occur more frequently in connective tissue weakness and CVI.

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 Medizin Verlag Heidelberg pp 150 -153