Does having liver palms necessarily mean you have liver disease?

Some people may find some red spots and patches on the skin of their palms, which turn pale after slight pressure. What is the reason for this? If you look up relevant information online or ask for advice, you will understand that this is liver palm. People may feel uneasy at this time, so does having liver palms necessarily mean there is liver disease?

Palmar erythema is considered to be a specific manifestation of hepatitis B complications, and the incidence is highest in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, it is a concern for many hepatitis B infected people.

The palms are pale and bloodless

The palms of the hands of patients with chronic hepatitis B are very different in color from those of normal people. The skin on the palms and backs of normal people's palms is a uniform light red, while the palms of people with liver disease are pale and bloodless. In addition, the skin on the thenar and hypothenar eminences at the base of the thumb and little finger will appear patchy and congested, or appear as red spots and plaques, and turn pale after pressure. This type of palm that is different from normal people is called liver palm .

The appearance of liver palms can be roughly divided into three stages according to the severity:

In the early stages, cinnabar-like red spots can be seen on the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the palm, indicating that the liver has begun to enlarge.

In the middle stage, there are red spots all over the palms, and the red color is brighter than in the previous stage, even purple, indicating that the liver is more obviously enlarged.

In the later stage, the red color of the entire palm and the soles of the ten fingers gradually turns into purple-brown, which is a sign of long-term qi stagnation and blood stasis, and the accumulation of evil toxins, which is a serious symptom of liver disease.

Hepatitis B virus carriers may also develop palmar erythema. When hepatitis B virus carriers become ill, due to decreased liver function, the metabolic inactivation function of estrogen is impaired to varying degrees. Over time, estrogen accumulates in the body, stimulating capillary congestion and dilation, forming palmar erythema.

The occurrence of liver palms does not necessarily mean liver disease, but hepatitis B virus carriers must not be careless if they have liver palms and should go to the hospital for examination in time.

Having palms of the hand does not necessarily mean you have liver disease. There is a slightly triangular gland above each kidney in the human body that secretes hormones, called the adrenal gland. This gland continuously produces estrogen, maintaining a relatively balanced normal level with the androgen produced by the body, thus ensuring the body's normal physiological and biochemical metabolic functions in this regard. In addition, the female ovaries also produce this hormone. These hormones travel throughout the body through the bloodstream and are ultimately broken down and inactivated in the liver.

However, when cirrhosis occurs, due to the decline in liver function, the metabolic inactivation function of estrogen is impaired to varying degrees. Over time, estrogen accumulates in the body and stimulates capillary congestion and dilation, forming liver palms.

Patients with cirrhosis and chronic liver disease may develop palmar erythema, but those who develop palmar erythema do not necessarily have liver disease. Clinically, we often see many people with palms of the hand, but after long-term observation, their liver function has been normal and they have never had any liver disease. Therefore, for those who develop liver palms, a comprehensive analysis and judgment should be conducted based on medical history, physical examination, liver function, hepatitis B two-pair-half test, B-ultrasound and other tests before a correct conclusion can be made.