Have noticed a lot of spider veins on my upper chest area, that have got a lot worse this last week. Any clue as to why that is?
Spider naevi decompensated liver cirr... - British Liver Trust
Spider naevi decompensated liver cirrhosis
Spider naevi or angiomata are common in cirrhosis and are most likely due to portal hypertension, muscle weakness in the blood vessels and/or increased oestrogen.
"Spider angiomas form due to failure of the sphincteric muscle surrounding a cutaneous arteriole. The central red dot is the dilated arteriole and the red "spider legs" are small capillaries carrying away the freely flowing blood. If momentary pressure is applied, it is possible to see the emptied capillaries refilling from the center. No other angiomas show this phenomenon.
The dilation, in turn, is caused by increased estrogen levels in the blood."
Katie
Thankyou, I have an ultrasound and endoscopy next week so hopefully they may shed some light.
Do you think they fade with time? x
My first symptom of liver cirrhosis was spider naevi some years before I was diagnosed with cirrhosis. I've had several bouts of laser treatment which helped on my face and chest but to be honest more just pop up randomly, even on my fingers. My hepatologist says that they happen even when your cirrhosis is stable.