Background: Acquired nevoid telangiectasia (ANT) is a segmental dilatation
of papillary plexus vessels. Objective: In the present study, the frequency
of ANT and its associations with Collagen vascular and spinal disease have
been investigated. Methods: 188 unselected patients, seen at an interdisci
plinary dermatorheumatologic outpatient clinic, were clinically examined fo
r the presence of ANT and possible associations to preexisting disease. Res
ults:ANT was seen in 17% of patients, all females. The mean age of ANT pati
ents was 57.5 +/- 8.2 years. Most common diseases were lupus erythematosus
and scleroderma. Twenty-four of them suffered from generalized fibromyalgia
, 8 had spondylitis deformans, 1 suffered from thoracal syringomyelia and 1
had a spine trauma. Two types of ANT have been seen: the cervico-thoracal
transition type and the lumbosacral transition type. Conclusions: ANT is no
t uncommon among patients attending a dermatorheumatologic outpatient clini
c. ANT indicates spinal or neuromuscular complaints, but is not related to
Collagen vascular disease itself. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.