Have Small Red Dots On Elbow. Looks Like Broken Blood Vessels. Any Ideas?

Posted on Fri, 8 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 Answered on

Mon, 1 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : On both elbows i have small red dots grouped together looks like a bruise but it isn't. It started with a small about cm in diameter but now is about a cm wide and 2 inches long its not really a rash ... Doesn't hurt looks like small Broken blood vessels ... Little dots

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (47 minutes later)

Hello,
Thanks for the query and photographs.
These grouped dotted lesions look like petechiae, that is minute bleed in skin. It is at the site of trauma (elbow) and hence can be due to low platelet.
Please get your platelet levels checked.
Feel free to ask any further queries.
Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (1 hour later)

What can cause low platelets?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (3 hours later)

Hello.
Thanks for the follow up.

Low platelet can be caused by any of the following causes.

1. Mild viral infection, like sore throat fever etc, can cause low platelet.
2. Sometimes the viral infections are very trivial and go off with just mild uneasiness, but platelet is destroyed to a greater level.
3. The next most important cause is intake of medication like painkiller can cause low platelet.
4. Malignancy or disorders of vessel can also cause platelet deficiency and present as bleed in skin. However, in these conditions there will be other symptoms also like high fever joint pains etc.

If there are no associated symptoms, you do not need to worry. Body can get back the platelet levels just in a month. I am asking you to get the levels checked, just to ascertain the diagnosis.

Wishing you good health.

Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E