Pallor
Pale skin caused by low levels of oxyhaemoglobin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eyes on physical examination.
| Pallor | |
|---|---|
| |
| A girl with circumoral pallor due to scarlet fever | |
| Specialty | Hematology, Rheumatology, Dermatology |
| Differential diagnosis | Hypopigmentation |
Pallor is more evident on the face and palms. It can develop suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause. It is not usually clinically significant unless it is accompanied by a general pallor (pale lips, tongue, palms, mouth and other regions with mucous membranes). It is distinguished from similar presentations such as hypopigmentation (lack or loss of skin pigment) or simply a lightly-melanated complexion.
In patients with dark skin, pallor is more subtle and harder to detect, often manifesting as a more grayish or ashy tone of skin in individuals with very dark brown skin, or alternatively a more yellowish tone in individuals with lighter brown skin. Assessing the palms, soles, and mucous membranes with appropriate lighting in such cases may make detection easier.[1][2]
Causes
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- migraine attack or headache[3]
- excess estradiol and/or estrone
- osteoporosis
- emotional response, due to fear, embarrassment, grief, rage[4]
- anorexia
- anemia,[5] due to blood loss, poor nutrition, or underlying disease such as sickle cell anemia
- iron deficiency
- vitamin B12 deficiency[6]
- shock, a medical emergency caused by illness or injury
- acute compartment syndrome
- frostbite
- common cold
- cancer[7]
- hypoglycaemia[8]
- bradycardia
- panic attack
- medications
- lead poisoning
- motion sickness[9]
- heart disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- hypothyroidism
- hypopituitarism
- scurvy
- tuberculosis
- sleep deprivation
- pheochromocytoma
- squeamishness
- visceral larva migrans
- Orthostatic hypotension
- methyldopa
- loss of appetite
- Space adaptation syndrome
- fibromyalgia
- Buerger's disease
- Hypovolemia
- death
