Spider naevus

The term spider naevus (Latin naevus araneus) is also known as liver star, liver spider, vascular spider or spider naevi. (17, 20, 25, 30)... 

Fig. 4.6 Spider naevus in liver cirrhosis in the ventral side of the left shoulder...

Liver-disease patients often display white spots on the skin, which are the size of a lentil (sometimes as large as 0.5-1.0 cm in diameter). They can be detected chiefly in the area of the arms, on the back and on the buttocks. Upon cooling of the skin, white spots appear or become more pronounced, so that a cold-related vasocontrac-tion is assumed to be the causative factor. In the predilection area of the spider naevi, the white spotting of the skin can be deemed a preliminary stage of liver star within the round white spot, a central red dot is formed, from which the typical spider naevus develops with a white areola. 

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