Capillaritis

Capillaritis is a very common and harmless skin condition that causes red or brown patches on the skin. It is also known as pigmented purpura. Although it is not harmful; the condition can cause an individual a lot of embarrassment and insecurity. The condition changes the way a person looks.

Capillaritis affect the legs most of the time, but they can appear on the other parts aswell like upper body. Anyone can get this skin disorder, but it is mostly common in individuals who spend long hours standing. It can get anyone regardless of their gender, age or race. Capillaritis is rare in young kids and popular among adults.

Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that are close to the skin. Sometimes, these blood vessels get inflamed for unknown reasons. When this happens, blood cells escape through the small gaps that arise between the cells, resulting in the red patches. There are different types of capillaritis

Symptoms

Because there are several types of this skin disorder, the symptoms are different too. The most common symptom is the color of the lesion. Here are some of the symptoms:

• People who have dark skin have deeply pigmented lesions that look like pepper petechiae and sometimes red-brown in color.
• For people with a light complexion, the lesion will be cayenne pepper colored.

Picture 1 – Capillaritis on the lower leg

Petechiae are actually pin point like hemorrhages. An individual will experience color variations in the affected area depending on the stage of the hemosiderin. Some people with the condition complain of having some burning, itching, and inflammation. There is a group that doesn’t get any symptoms apart from the lesions that are non-blanching.

Picture 2 – Capillaritis on arms

Clinical features of Capillaritis

There are different types of capillaritis. Most of them are named after the person who discovered them.

Schamberg disease

This is also known as progressive pigmented purpura. This type of capillaritis is the most common. The patient will identify red-brown patches that have cayenne pepper spots on the borders without any cause. This condition is common in the lower legs and upper parts of the body. Most of the time, it is distributed on both sides, and the patient doesn’t experience any other symptoms.

Itching purpura

This type of capillaritis is similar to Schamberg disease, but it causes itchiness on the affected areas.

Gougerot-Blum

This type is also known as pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatosis.This type of capillaritis is rare, and people who have it experience patches that are thick and itchy.

Majocchi’s purpura

Also known as purpura annular is telangiectodes too is a type of capillaritis where a patient gets dilated capillaries, brown patches, and cayenne spots. With time, the spots spread outwards.

Contact allergy

This type of skin allergy is as a result of khaki clothing dye and rubber. The place that comes into contact with the material gets affected.

Lichen aureus

This is actually a solitary yellow-brown patch, and it has been proven to be very persistent. Most of the time, it overlies a varicose vein.

Exercise-induced capillaritis

Some people develop this condition after prolonged and vigorous exercise. The red spots will most likely form on the ankles, and it is common during the warm weather. After forming, the spots fade to brown, and in a short duration, they disappear entirely. Patients with this condition complain of a burning sensation.

Causes

Research shows that capillaritis are caused by leakage of the small blood vessels known as capillaries, but in some cases, the exact cause is not known.

Here are some of the most common causes of this skin condition:

• Some people are sensitive to particular food and even environment contaminants. After eating these foods or getting into contact with the contaminants, these people get the patches.
• Some viral infections can result to capillaritis.
• Using medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol can trigger the condition.
• Skin hypersensitivity can trigger the condition too.
• Excess physical exercise is a common cause of this condition. The patient will most likely get the patches on the legs and ankles after the exercise.

Treatments

At the moment, there is no known cure for this condition. Most people do not actually treat capillaritis. This is because the patches disappear on their own. However, these spots can be annoying and cause a lot of embarrassment to the person affected. Here are some tips to help get rid of them:

• A healthy diet is vital if someone wants to maintain beautiful skin. People with capillaritis can get rid of the patches by eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. The patients should try to avoid foods with a lot of preservatives and artificial food coloring agents. These agents have been proven to worsen the condition.
• There are some topical steroid creams on the market to help get rid of the itchiness. However, before buying yourself one, it is vital to consult your dermatologist. A bad cream can worsen the situation. These creams will help manage the itchiness but will not cure the condition.
• Some symptoms of the disease can be effectively controlled by over the counter medication. If the condition is causing itchiness, the patient can buy an ointment over the counter to manage it.
• Capillaritis usually affect the legs so the patient can wear some compression stocking. This way, they will be able to manage some of the symptoms they are experiencing.
• If the cause of the capillaritis is allergies or food sensitivities, the patient is supposed to eliminate the diet at all costs.
• When you notice that the prescription medicine you are using is causing the breakout, it is advisable to stop it before it causes more damage to the skin.
• Laser treatment is also available, but many people say that it doesn’t help this condition a lot.

Capillaritis Pictures

How does capillaritis look like? Take a look at these pictures of capillaritis:

Picture 3 – Capillaritis on legs

Picture 5 – Capillaritis on ankles