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Generalized essential telangiectasia in Child
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Generalized essential telangiectasia in Child

Contributors: Erin X. Wei MD, Erica Stevens MD, Noah Craft MD, PhD, Susan Burgin MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Generalized essential telangiectasia (GET) is a benign condition in which there are progressive, widespread, asymptomatic, blanchable telangiectasias. This condition primarily affects adult women, and the average age of onset is late 30's to late 40's, but pediatric cases have been reported. The limbs, especially distal extremities, are usually initially affected with gradual, proximal progression to more widespread involvement. Conjunctival involvement has also rarely been reported.

Most commonly, telangiectasias start distally and spread proximally in a symmetric pattern. The lesions can also be distributed in localized, diffuse, discrete, or confluent patterns. The affected areas are usually asymptomatic, but there can be associated tingling, burning, or numbness.

Generally, there are no associated systemic symptoms or bleeding; however, there have been reported cases of gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to gastric antral vascular ectasias.

Codes

ICD10CM:
I78.1 – Nevus, non-neoplastic

SNOMEDCT:
238763007 – Generalized essential telangiectasia

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Last Reviewed:11/17/2020
Last Updated:11/22/2020
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Patient Information for Generalized essential telangiectasia in Child
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Contributors: Medical staff writer

Overview

Generalized essential telangiectasia is a condition in which enlarged blood vessels are able to be seen through the skin. These visible red, purple, or blue blood vessels are sometimes called spider veins because the pattern they make can look like spider webs.

Generalized essential telangiectasia usually starts on the lower legs before eventually spreading to other areas of the body. It does not hurt, but some people feel tingling, burning, or numbness.

Who’s At Risk

Women in their 30s and 40s are more likely to have generalized essential telangiectasia.

Signs & Symptoms

Red, purple, or blue blood vessels are visible through the skin. They may be widespread but are usually more noticeable on the legs and feet.

Self-Care Guidelines

Some people may choose to use makeup or self-tanner to hide the veins.

When to Seek Medical Care

Contact your physician if you begin to feel unwell or have a fever. This may mean you have a more serious illness that you should be evaluated for.

Treatments

Your doctor may examine you and request lab work on a blood sample to rule out other diseases.

This condition is nearly impossible to get rid of. Lasers can be used on the veins, but this treatment can be expensive. It can also be damaging, especially to darker skin types.
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Generalized essential telangiectasia in Child
A medical illustration showing key findings of Generalized essential telangiectasia : Forearm, Lower leg, Red color, Reticular - netlike, Widespread distribution, Telangiectasias
Clinical image of Generalized essential telangiectasia - imageId=1544705. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'A close-up of telangiectatic patches.'
A close-up of telangiectatic patches.
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