Petechiae are small red or purple spots visible to the naked eye that form on the skin or mucous membranes as a result of blood extravasation. The reasons for their formation vary, but in no case should they be ignored, because sometimes they can be a symptom of more serious diseases.
Petechiaemay appear as single point dots, but they usually form a whole cluster, so it is rather difficult to miss them. They sometimes look like a rash, but unlike a rash, the spots do not turn pale when pressed against them. Petechiae can occur all over the body, but the most common locations are the arms, legs, abdomen, chest, and face. What are the reasons for their formation? Sometimes it is completely trivial, e.g. after too much physical effort, caused, among others, by intense cough during infection, vomiting, and as a result of mechanical damage or injuries (e.g. after any kind of bruises, abrasions).
Petechiae: causes
Usually large clusters of ecchymosis are of concern, and rightly so. They often signal a specific disease, especially if they appear in a specific place in the body.
This is the case with Schönlein-Henoch disease, because petechiae occur mainly on the buttocks and lower legs, usually around the ankles. Schönlein-Henoch disease is an acute inflammation of the small blood vessels and, as with other bleeding disorders such as thrombocytopenia, petechiae is one of the main symptoms.
Petechiae can also be a symptom of infective endocarditis, especially when the inflammation spreads to the left side of the heart and there are symptoms of peripheral circulatory disturbance and embolism. Apart from ecchymosis, there are also lumps or other discolorations on the skin.
What diseases are accompanied by petechiae?
The most common are:
- scarlet fever
- cytomegaly
- infectious mononucleosis
Occasionally petechiae occurs in diseases that can be life-threatening, such as meningococcal infection, which causes sepsis or meningitis, or in certain types of leukemia, with a reduction in the number of platelets in the blood, thereby making it visible tendency to bruise or bruise.
Petechiae: diagnosis and treatment
In case of petechiae onthe skin or mucous membranes, basic diagnostics includes performing a blood count with clotting time and the number of thrombocytes (i.e. platelets). This is usually enough to detect bleeding disorders. If the medical history shows that the ecchymosis may have arisen as a result of too intense exercise, they should disappear spontaneously after a few days. At most, you can enrich your diet or use vitamin C supplements, which seals and strengthens blood vessels.
However, when petechiae is only one of the symptoms, and additionally the patient has, for example, high temperature, various types of pains (abdominal, chest) and general malaise, further diagnosis is necessary.
In the case of infectious endocarditis, it is often necessary to perform an ECG, echo of the heart, in the case of scarlet fever or meningococci, blood culture is helpful, thanks to which it is possible to detect the presence of bacteria in the body.
Regardless of the reason for the appearance of petechiae, they should not be taken lightly and it is best to consult their appearance and location with a doctor. He will tell you if it is petechiae, and not some kind of rash resembling it, for example. He will also order appropriate tests, thanks to which it will be possible to diagnose the root cause of the disease, one of the symptoms of which may be ecchymosis.