What to do if spider nevus grows on the body

Everyone has some moles of various kinds on their body, such as black moles or red moles. However, we don’t see spider nevi very often in our daily lives, and we don’t know much about their causes and treatments. If you find several spider-shaped nevi on your face, neck or chest, you must pay close attention to them, as they may be a warning sign of liver disease. When spider nevi appear, don't panic, go to the hospital in time to confirm the cause.

1. What is spider nevus

Spider nevus is also called spider telangiectasia or arterial spider nevus. It looks like a spider, with radially arranged capillary dilations next to the nevus. It is common in areas above the trunk, especially the face, neck and hands. Spider nevi vary in size, with the largest one being about 1.5 cm in diameter. The central part of the nevus is raised above the skin surface, and pulsation can be seen on glass slide compression. It is often unilateral and solitary, but may also be multiple. With the naked eye, it can be seen that the capillaries around the nevus are dilated and arranged radially. Similar lesions may occur on the lips and nasal mucosa, but lack obvious typical morphology.

2. Causes of spider nevus

1. Pregnant women and healthy people may also have it. Adolescent girls and pregnant women will develop spider nevi due to the increase of estrogen levels in their bodies. This is a normal phenomenon and there is no need to be too nervous. Spider nevi will disappear as you age and have children.

2. If spider nevi suddenly appear in men or elderly women, they should be vigilant because spider nevi are more common in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. If you find a large number of spider nevi on your skin and they do not disappear for a long time after they appear, or if old spider nevi suddenly grow significantly larger, you should be alert to the possibility of cirrhosis, worsening cirrhosis, or even liver cancer. Spider nevi are warning lights of liver failure. The occurrence of spider nevi may be related to increased estrogen levels. People with liver diseases such as cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, liver failure, liver cancer, etc., will have a significant decrease in the ability to regulate hormones in the body after liver function declines, and the inactivation of estrogen is reduced, thus causing spider nevi. In other words, if you find spider nevi on your body, you must go to the hospital to check your liver just in case.

3. How to treat spider nevus

The appearance of spider nevi is often parallel to the state of liver function. When liver function deteriorates, the number of spider nevi may increase sharply. After liver function improves, this mole may change from bright red to brown-black and finally disappear.

4. Diet for patients with spider nevus

Choose a different diet according to the cause of the disease. If you are a normal person, eat normally. If you have liver disease, you should eat a light diet, avoid greasy food and eat less cholesterol; if it is caused by pregnancy factors, you should strengthen your nutrition.