Symptom/Sign: Petechia
Classifications and external resources

A minor petechia. A symptom' (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident misfortune that which befalls" from συμπίπτω, "I befall" from A Sign is an indication of some fact or quality and a medical sign is an objective indication of some medical fact or quality that is detected by a Physician
ICD-10	R23.3
ICD-9	782.7

A petechia (pronounced [pɨˈtiːkiə]), plural petechiae (pɨˈtiːkɪiː) is a small red or purple spot on the body, caused by a minor hemorrhage (broken capillary blood vessels). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision ( ICD -10) is a coding of diseases and signs symptoms abnormal findings R00-R69 - Symptoms and Signs (R00-R09 Circulatory and Respiratory systems ( Abnormalities of Heart beat The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging / haemorrhaging (see American and British spelling differences) is the loss of Blood from Capillaries are the smallest of a body's Blood vessels measuring 5-10 μm in diameter which connect Arterioles and Venules and enable the interchange The blood vessels are part of the Circulatory system and function to transport Blood throughout the body

The most common cause of petechiae is through physical trauma such as a hard bout of coughing, vomiting or crying which can result in facial petechiae, especially around the eyes. Petechiae in this instance are completely harmless and usually disappear within a few days. Petechiae may be a sign of thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts). Thrombocytopenia (or -paenia, or thrombopenia in short is the presence of relatively few Platelets in Blood. Platelets, or Thrombocytes, are small cytoplasmic bodies derived from cells They circulate in the Blood of Mammals and are involved They also occur in circumstances when platelet function is inhibited (e. g. , as a side effect of medications or during certain infections) or when excessive pressure is applied to tissue (e. g. , when a tourniquet is applied to an extremity or with excessive coughing).

If unsure, petechiae should always be quickly investigated. They can be interpreted as vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels, which requires immediate treatment to prevent permanent damage. Vasculitis (plural vasculitides) a group of diseases featuring Inflammation of the wall of Blood vessels including veins ( Phlebitis) arteries Some malignancies can also cause petechiae to appear. Petechiae should be investigated by a skilled health care provider immediately to rule out the more dangerous conditions. Dermatologists can be the most helpful specialists in these conditions because they can more easily identify if the condition is petechiae or some similar looking but less worrisome rash.

The significance of petechiae in children depends on the clinical context in which they arise. Petechiae in children can occur with viral infections. In this setting they do not necessarily signify serious illness. They are the hallmark of some possibly serious illnesses, however, such as meningococcemia, various causes of thrombocytopenia, and leukemia. Meningococcal disease describes infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis (also termed meningococcus and carries a high mortality rate if untreated Thrombocytopenia (or -paenia, or thrombopenia in short is the presence of relatively few Platelets in Blood. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Therefore, their presence should not be ignored.

Associated conditions

• Bolivian hemorrhagic fever
• Boutonneuse fever
• Cerebral malaria
• Congenital syphilis
• Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
• Dengue fever
• Duke's disease
• Ebola
• Endocarditis
• Erythroblastosis fetalis
• Gua Sha
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura
• Leukemia
• Childhood protein-energy malnutrition such as Kwashiorkor or Marasmus
• Typhus ^[1]
• Scarlet Fever
• Schamberg's Disease
• Kawasaki disease
• Kawasaki fever
• Rocky mountain spotted fever

Forensics

Petechiae on the face and conjunctiva (eyes) are a sign of a death by asphyxiation. Bolivian hemorrhagic fever ( BHF) also known as black typhus or Machupo virus, is a Hemorrhagic fever and zoonotic Infectious Boutonneuse fever (also called Mediterranean spotted fever, fièvre boutonneuse, or Marseilles fever) is a Fever as a result of a Rickettsial Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Congenital syphilis is Syphilis present in utero and at birth and occurs when a child is born to a mother with secondary or tertiary syphilis Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF is a widespread Tick -borne Viral disease, a Zoonosis of domestic Animals and wild animals Dukes' disease or fourth disease is a viral Rash most commonly caused by Enteroviruses, Echoviruses, and members of the Coxsackievirus Ebola is the common term for a group of Viruses belonging to genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, and for the disease which they Endocarditis is an Inflammation of the inner layer of the Heart, the Endocardium. Haemolytic disease of the newborn, also known as Haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, HDN, HDFN, or Erythroblastosis fetalis, is an Gua Sha (刮痧 literally "to scrape for cholera" in Chinese (more loosely "to scrape for fever" is an ancient medical treatment Henoch-Schönlein purpura, also known as allergic purpura and commonly abbreviated to HSP, is a systemic Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels characterized Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Kwashiorkor is a type of malnutrition with controversial causes but it is commonly believed to be caused by insufficient protein intake Marasmus is a form of severe Protein-energy malnutrition characterized by Energy deficiency. Typhus is any of several similar diseases caused by Louse -borne bacteria Scarlet fever is a disease caused by an Exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Kawasaki disease Kawasaki disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most severe and most frequently reported Rickettsial illness in the United States. The conjunctiva is a clear membrane that covers the Sclera (white part of the Eye) and lines the inside of the Eyelids It is made of lymphoid tissue They are thought to result from an increase of pressure in the veins of the head and hypoxic damage to endothelial of blood vessels. In the Circulatory system, a vein is a Blood vessel that carries Blood back toward the Heart (as opposed to Artery, a blood vessel Chronic Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole ( generalized hypoxia) or region of the body ( tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of Blood vessels forming an interface between circulating Blood in the ^[2]

References

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