Spider Veins

Spider veins are a colloquialism for telangiectasias and are the result of damaged small superficial blood vessels in the skin. They appear as thin purple, red, or blue lines and are most often found on the legs but may also occur elsewhere, particularly the face. Von Graf first described telangiectasias in 1807. The term stems from the Greek words telos meaning end, angeion meaning vessel, and ektasis meaning dilatation. Telangiectasias are also known as thread veins, venus flares, sunburst veins, stellate veins, and hyphen webs.

Spider veins rarely cause health problems, though they can occasionally become painful. They can, however, be a significant cosmetic nuisance, and treatments primarily aim to improve appearance. This article seeks to discuss the etiology, epidemiology, risk factors, evaluation, and treatment of spider veins.