Introduction
Have you ever noticed little red dots on yourself or others? Sometimes these will be flat or they might be raised. They can occur anywhere but often turn up on the stomach or on the forehead or in the hair.
These are cherry spots; they are little growths of small blood vessels that turn up on the skin. They are harmless but some people like to have them removed to be less obvious. The best way to do that is by zapping them with a small electric current and they tend to go away.
What are spider angioma?
Spider angioma, spider telangiectasia, spider naevus is a skin lesion made up of tiny dilated blood vessels below the skin. They look like a spider with a central red lump and little legs radiating out.
They are typically associated with liver disease and higher circulating estrogen.
How are they treated?
Rarely, fine-needle electrocautery, 585 nm pulsed, dye laser, 532 nm KTP (potassium-titanyl-phosphate) laser, or electro desiccation have been used to clear spider angioma for cosmetic concerns. The results of the procedure are generally good except for the small risk of the scar.
Spider angiomas can recur after treatment but generally disappear if the underlying estrogen issue has been addressed.
REFERENCES
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/spider-telangiectasis/
