Definition

A condition where small blood vessels, called capillaries, become enlarged and visible on the skin, often appearing as red, blue, or purple spots.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with telangiectasia after noticing the red spots on her face.

Conversation

Have you noticed those red spots on my arm?

Yeah, what are they?

I think it's something called telangiectasia, which is common for some people.

Oh, I see! Maybe you should see a dermatologist about it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Telangiectasia → It is formed from "tela" (from Latin, meaning tissue) and "angiectasia" (from Greek "angeion", meaning vessel, and "ektasis", meaning expansion). The word describes the expansion of small blood vessels in the tissue, leading to visible red or purple lines on the skin.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tissue' ('tela') where small 'vessels' ('angeion') are 'expanded' ('ektasis') — this helps you remember that telangiectasia refers to the expansion of small blood vessels in the skin.

Visually Confused Words