Livedo reticularis
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Livedo reticularis is a common skin finding consisting of a mottled reticulated vascular pattern that appears as a lace-like purplish discoloration of the skin.[1] The discoloration is caused by reduction in blood flow through the arterioles that supply the cutaneous capillaries, resulting in deoxygenated blood showing as blue discoloration. This can be a secondary effect of a condition that increases a person's risk of forming blood clots, including a wide array of pathological and nonpathological conditions. Examples include hyperlipidemia, microvascular hematological or anemia states, nutritional deficiencies, hyper- and autoimmune diseases, and drugs/toxins.
Livedo reticularis | |
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Livedo reticularis secondary to obscure severe infrarenal aortoiliac stenosis with severe transient lactic acidosis. | |
Specialty | Dermatology, cardiology |
Symptoms | Purpura, mottling of the skin, blood clots, skin discoloration |
Causes | Autoimmune diseases, hyperlipidemia, poisons, drug abuse |
The condition may be normal or related to more severe underlying pathology.[2] Its differential diagnosis is broadly divided into possible blood diseases, autoimmune (rheumatologic), cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and endocrine disorders. It can usually (in 80% of cases) be diagnosed by biopsy.[3]
It may be aggravated by exposure to cold, and occurs most often in the lower extremities.[4]
The condition's name derives from the Latin livere which means bluish, and reticular which refers to the net-like pattern.[5]