Teleangiectasias: what are they?

By Cristiano Antonino Last updated Jun 20, 2023

Telangiectasias are caused by enlarged blood vessels. This condition is much more common than you think and you will probably have come across this problem at least once in your life

They are mostly harmless and are caused by a weakness of the vascular walls that is very common in both women and men.

Usually they do not represent a wake-up call for more serious pathologies but still require further investigation, especially when they occur at a young age or in a widespread manner.

In this article by PB Salute we will discover together what are the characteristics of telangiectasias, what are the symptoms of a telangiectasia, the causes that can favor its appearance, the correct prevention strategies, how to diagnose it, what is the most appropriate treatment and what could be the possible related pathologies.

A blue or red blemish

Telangiectasias are caused, as mentioned, by an enlarged blood vessel.

They can be blue or red in color and can appear on various parts of the body.

Usually, a red telangiectasia involves the capillaries, while the blue ones are associated with the veins.

The characteristics of this problem make telangiectasis easily recognizable: starting from the colour, as we have already seen, a shape can be observed which can be circular, tufted or patchy, reticular and spider web – one of the most widespread.

Usually they appear as if they were “under the skin”, but it is also possible to observe them in relief (in which case we speak of papules) and with many “ramifications”, also called arborizations.

It is above all a problem related to the skin and which develops at the level of the lips, auricles, gums, palate, nails and even in the sclera of the eye.

The causes of the appearance of teleangiectasias

There are various causes related to the appearance of telangiectasias, among which advanced age certainly stands out (it is not uncommon that aging leads to the widespread appearance of telangiectasias in patients), pregnancy, excessive exposure to the sun or genetic factors.

In some cases, the appearance of telangiectasias is related to diseases (such as rosacea), as we will see later.

Where are they formed?

Telangiectasias form mainly on the skin, but it is not uncommon to detect their presence also at the level of the sclera – the white part of the eye – and on the mucous membranes.

These dilations of the blood vessels are usually clearly visible on the epidermis and largely completely harmless, however causing an aesthetic disturbance in the patient who suffers from them.

A female problem

Although it is a widespread problem among both men and women, the incidence is higher in women, especially after menopause.

Despite this, it is not a problem linked solely to advancing age and can also occur in young subjects.

Telangiectasias may first emerge in limited numbers and increase over time, with a course that varies with respect to their size.

Different types of teleangiectasias

Telangiectasias are not all the same.

As already specified, the causes of their appearance can be very different and, based on this, it is possible to classify them:

Hormonal telangiectasia, i.e. resulting from a hormonal alteration that occurs during menopause or pregnancy, or which may coincide with taking the contraceptive pill.
Venous insufficiency telangiectasia, the most common, occurs on the legs, thighs, and feet. When venous blood flow slows down, several may appear.
Capillary weakness telangiectasia, also very common. Alteration from heat and cold or excessive exposure to the sun can also affect its appearance.
Matting telangiectasia, which occurs after having undergone surgery. They can regress even without treatment.
Osler-Rendu-Weber and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, the latter two with genetic transmission.

What are the symptoms?

These small malformations are almost asymptomatic and their problem, when they are related to another pathology, is only of an aesthetic nature

The skin appears altered by these anomalies which only in some cases lead to itching (a symptom that should be promptly reported to your general practitioner)

In this case we can speak of telangiectasias in the norm, which do not constitute a health problem to be investigated.

If, on the other hand, the telangiectasias bleed, it is good practice to contact your doctor to rule out further concomitant pathologies.

How is the diagnosis made?

Diagnosis is quite simple and involves a careful objective examination of the affected area of the enlarged blood vessels.

At that point the doctor, after identifying the disorder, will be able to suggest further diagnostic tests to rule out the presence of associated pathologies and indicate a therapy to follow to avoid the onset of further telangiectasias.

What are the treatments for spider veins?

Since there are different types of spider veins, there are different treatments.

As we have seen, there is no single type of telangiectasia: for this reason, the treatments can be different from each other, depending on the stage and nature of the disorder.

If the presence of telangiectasias is given by the correlation with other basic diseases, logically the treatment must concern the disease that causes the blood vessels to enlarge and not the direct presence of the same.

If, on the other hand, the problem is closely related to age, to a genetic or hormonal factor, it is possible to proceed with laser therapies and treatments with high intensity pulsed light.

Sclerotherapy and radiofrequency treatments have been developed.

However, when the appearance of spider veins is caused by severe micronutrient deficiencies, it is advisable to integrate them correctly.

What diseases can be associated with teleangiectasias?

Telangiectasias may be associated with other pathological conditions such as couperose, rosacea, actinic keratosis, scleroderma, Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, Bloom syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum or ataxia telangiectasia.

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