Pregnant woman with this developing during 2nd trimester.
Palmar erythema (PE) is a clinical finding that has a variety of causes. The redness is due to increased blood content of the skin of the palms. Some cases are familial and others idiopathic. The most common identified cause is pregnancy as up to 30% of pregnant women will develop palmar erythema. Other associations include liver disease, e.g., cirrhosis (23% of people with liver cirrhosis develop palmar erythema), Wilson disease, hemochromatosis, thyrotoxicosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, drug-related, smoking and COPD.
Unilateral palmar erythema may be a presentation of thoracic outlet syndrome.
The palms are red bilaterally.
If pregnancy-induced, the changes usually resolve after delivery. Otherwise, if a specific cause is found, it should be addressed. In most cases, the condition is asymptomatic and no treatment is needed.
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