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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Petechiae (pronounced puh-TEE-kee-ee) are pinpoint, round spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding under the skin. The bleeding causes the petechiae to appear red, brown or purple. Petechiae may look like a rash. Usually flat to the touch, petechiae don't lose color (blanch) when you press on them.
Petechiae may indicate a number of conditions that can be serious.
- Drews R. Approach to the adult patient with a bleeding diathesis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 15, 2009.
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Itp/ITP_All.html. Accessed Jan. 7, 2010.
- Marshall AL, et al. Initial approach to the patient: History and physical examination. In: Lichtman MA, et al. Williams Hematology. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, Medical Publication Division; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2131000. Accessed Dec. 15, 2009.
- Springhouse. Purpura. In: Springhouse. Handbook of Signs and Symptoms. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2010.
- Kahan S, et al. Purpura. Kahan S, et al. In a Page: Signs and Symptoms. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
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