Acrocyanosis: what it is, possible causes and treatment

Content:

Acrocyanosis is a permanent vascular disease that gives the skin a bluish color, usually affecting the hands, feet and sometimes the face symmetrically, being more frequent in winter and in women. This phenomenon happens because the amount of oxygen that reaches the extremities is very low, making the blood darker, which gives the skin a bluish tinge.

Acrocyanosis can be primary, which is considered benign and is not associated with any disease and does not require treatment, or secondary, which can be a sign of a more serious disease.

What are the signs and symptoms

Acrocyanosis most often affects women over the age of 20 and is worsened by cold and emotional stress. The skin on the fingers or toes becomes cold and bluish, sweats easily, and may swell, however this disease is not painful or injures the skin.

Possible causes

Acrocyanosis usually manifests at temperatures below 18°C, and the skin takes on a bluish color due to low levels of oxygen in the blood.

Acrocyanosis can be primary or secondary. Primary acrocyanosis is considered benign, is not associated with any disease and usually does not need treatment, while secondary acrocyanosis can be caused by some disease, and in these cases it is considered serious and treatment consists of diagnosing the disease causing acrocyanosis and treating it. -there.

Some of the diseases that can cause acrocyanosis are hypoxia, lung and cardiovascular diseases, connective tissue problems, anorexia nervosa, cancer, blood problems, some medications, hormonal changes, infections like HIV, mononucleosis, for example.

Acrocyanosis in the newborn

In newborns, the skin on the hands and feet may have a bluish color that disappears in a few hours, and may only reappear when the baby is cold, cries or breastfeeds.

This coloration is due to an increase in the rigidity of peripheral arterioles, which leads to congestion of oxygen-poor blood, responsible for the bluish color. In these cases, neonatal acrocyanosis is physiological, improves with warming, and has no pathological significance.

How is the treatment done?

Treatment for primary acrocyanosis is usually not necessary, but the doctor may recommend that the person avoid exposure to the cold and may also prescribe calcium channel blockers, which dilate the arteries, such as amlodipine, felodipine or nicardipine, for example, but it has been observed that this is an ineffective measure in reducing cyanosis.

In cases of acrocyanosis secondary to other diseases, the doctor should try to understand if the staining indicates a serious clinical condition, and in these cases treatment should be focused on the disease that may be the origin of acrocyanosis.