If You Notice This on Your Skin, Get Your Liver Checked, Says Mayo Clinic
Right now in the U.S., roughly 30
million people have some form of liver disease. And over time, any conditions
that damage the liver can lead to cirrhosis, scarring of the liver due to
excessive alcohol consumption or chronic hepatitis infection. Eventually, this
scar tissue renders the liver nonfunctional, the Cleveland Clinic explains on
its site. Unfortunately, your liver could be suffering long before you realize
a problem exists. That's exactly why it's so essential to be able to recognize
the telltale signs of liver disease if they should arise—including some of the
lesser known symptoms. Read on to learn one symptom you may notice on your
skin, which can indicate chronic liver disease with 95 percent accuracy.
Spider-like blood vessels can signal cirrhosis of the liver.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
there's one symptom that anyone concerned for their liver should be aware of:
spider-like blood vessels on the skin. This type of vascular lesion is known
among medical professionals as spider angioma, spider naevus, or spider
telangiectasia.
What makes these skin lesions so
useful in diagnosis is how regularly aligned they are with liver conditions.
While a single lesion can indicate a much wider range of health problems—or can
be completely benign—a 2021 study published in the journal StatPearls found
that "multiple spider angiomas are characteristic of chronic liver disease
with a specificity of 95 percent."
Spider angiomas typically appear on your face, neck, upper chest, or arms.
These lesions are called spider
angiomas for a reason: they look quite a lot like spiders on the skin. Each one
typically contains a red spot at the center and a network of red lines which
radiate outward like a spider's web or legs. Surrounding this, you're likely to
see some additional redness, which is the result of dilated capillaries beneath
the skin's surface.
"Spider angiomas are
characteristically found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms in
adults," explains the study. The lesions are typically painless, and
shouldn't bleed or bruise, the researchers say.
In some cases, spider angioma has another, unrelated cause.
While cirrhosis is the most
common underlying cause of spider angioma, there are several other reasons that
you may develop this particular type of lesion. For example, up to 60 percent
of pregnant women and 50 percent of children will experience this symptom at
some point, according to SkinSight—though within these demographics, angiomas
tend to be harmless. "Solitary spider nevus in otherwise healthy
individuals or pregnant women does not warrant further workup," the 2021
study states.
However, there are other
underlying reasons for spider angiomas—and several can be serious. Alcoholic
hepatitis, hepatopulmonary syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, skin cancer, and
certain thyroid disorders have all been linked to the skin condition.
It's associated with higher levels of mortality in those with liver disease.
Unfortunately, when spider
angioma is caused by cirrhosis, it is associated with worse outcomes.
"Spider nevi correspond with a higher risk of mortality among patients
with alcoholic liver disease," the researchers say. "The prognosis
for patients with spider nevi is generally excellent unless they have underlying
end-stage liver disease."
If you notice spider angiomas on
your skin—particularly if you develop more than one—be sure to speak with your
doctor for more information.
