Department
of Podiatry - Vascular Assessment
Telangiectasia
Telangiactasia
(telos, end; angios, vessel; ektasis, swelling) are
permanently dilated capillaries and venules (Anderson, 1999). Due to the
high venous pressure from venous insufficiency, the vessels swell and
dilate.
They
present as tiny spider-like superficial blood vessles, usually red to
blue, that radiate out from a centrifugal point.
On
their own they don’t cause damage, however they are another indicator
of venous hypertension. It should be noted that they may also be caused
by trauma, alcoholism, tumors, actinic damage and collagen vascular disease
such as scleroderma or CREST syndrome (Anderson, 1999).
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