Telangiectasias are reticular widenings of small blood vessels in the skin, commonly known as vascular spiders. The reasons for the appearance of telangiectasia can be trivial, e.g. improperly selected cosmetics, as well as very serious, e.g. chronic venous insufficiency or systemic scleroderma. How is telangiectasia treated?
Telangiectasiascan be innocent, minor skin defects, most common in the elderly and children, and resolving spontaneously or with minor cosmetic procedures.
The cause of telangiectasia can be the use of cosmetics, such as long-term topical use of glucocorticosteroids, pregnancy (changes in venous circulation, estrogens), but also diseases.
Telangiectasias as a symptom of the disease
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Telangiectasias on the lower extremities may be a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency. They usually widen over time, forming twisted varicose veins of the main veins of the lower limbs.
Telangiectasias radiate out in places of insufficient piercing veins.
Depending on the severity of the disease, conservative treatment is applied, ranging from lifestyle changes, through compression treatment to invasive treatment (surgery).
Rendu, Osler and Weber disease
Another disease that manifests itself by telangiectasia is Rendu-Osler-Weber disease. It is a genetically determined, autosomal dominant blood vessel anomaly.
It is characterized by spider-like vasodilations in the form of telangiectasia or larger arteriovenous malformations.
There are gastrointestinal bleeding, haemoptysis, epistaxis, haematuria. Symptoms usually worsen with age. Treat symptomatically by infusing blood and its components, replenishing iron deficiencies.
Systemic sclerosis
Systemic scleroderma is a systemic disease of connective tissue characterized by progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. The clinical forms of the disease are distinguished depending on the area affected by the lesions:
- restricted form ("CREST syndrome": includes soft tissue calcifications, Reynaud's phenomenon, dysfunctionesophagus, hardening of the skin of the fingers, telangiectasias in the skin, skin lesions mainly on the face and distal parts of the upper and lower limbs)
- generalized form (rapid involvement of both the skin and internal organs, rapid course, skin changes affect the face, torso and proximal parts of the limbs)
- systemic scleroderma without skin changes (changes include internal organs, no skin changes)
- overlap syndrome (features of systemic scleroderma and other connective tissue systemic diseases such as RA, dermatomyositis, lupus)
- high-risk syndrome of systemic scleroderma (no hardening of the skin or organ lesions, but symptoms characteristic of the disease, such as Reynaud's symptom, specific antibodies for scleroderma).
Telangiectasias appear mainly on the skin of the face and mucous membranes, usually in a limited form in the early stage of the disease, but also in the later stage of the generalized form.
There are no causal treatments for the disease, and no medications that can satisfactorily stop the progression of the disease. Treatment reduces the effects of organ damage, skin hardening and pulmonary lesions, thereby reducing mortality.
The method of treatment is autologous stem cell transplantation after prior immunosuppression. It is used in patients with generalized and limited severe disease.
Ataxia-telangiectasia syndrome
Ataxia-telangiectasia syndrome - a genetic disease that develops from early childhood, the symptoms of which include: cerebellar ataxia (impaired motor coordination), telangiectasia in the skin and in the eyeball, immunodeficiency, mainly manifested by recurrent infections respiratory system. The disease predisposes to neoplastic changes, mainly lymphoma and leukemia.
Sturge-Weber syndrome (facial and cerebral hemangioma)
Sturge-Weber syndrome - (also known as facial and cerebral hemangioma) - a syndrome of congenital malformations, belonging to a group of dermatological and nervous disorders called phacomatoses.
It is manifested by flat hemangioma in the area of the face, less often on the trunk, mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, cerebral angiomyoma, epileptic seizures, glaucoma may occur (depending on the type of disease).
There are 3 types of disease, differing in the occurrence of individual symptoms. Treatment is only symptomatic - it is possible to partially or completely remove the moles, pharmacological control of epileptic seizures is necessary, frequent ophthalmological observations for glaucoma and its possible surgery.
Cirrhosis of the liver
Cirrhosis of the liver is a condition in which the liver parenchyma is destroyed as a result of its fibrosis and architectural reconstruction. Liver dysfunction and changes in the organization of the vascular system develop, which leads to a number of symptoms, including:
- skin lesions in the form of stellate hemangiomas
- teleagiectasia
- palmar and plantar erythema
- excessive skin pigmentation
- formation of yellow tufts called yellows
In compensated cirrhosis, treatment consists only of changing the lifestyle, while in the decompensated form, it is necessary to transplant the liver, correct electrolyte disorders, blood coagulation disorders, glycemia, prophylaxis of bleeding from esophageal varices, antibiotic therapy, treatment of possible complications.