Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Acrocyanosis (not benign)
Introduction
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Acrocyanosis refers to a bluish or cyanotic discoloration of the skin of the hands and sometimes the feet. It is often a benign condition that does not require medical intervention, but when it is not benign, it could indicate a serious medical problem and may shed important information when rendering a differential diagnosis.
Acrocyanosis may be seen in patients with connective tissue diseases, thromboangiitis obliterans, and diseases associated with central cyanosis. It can also arise chronically from a neurohormonal disorder of the cardiovascular system or acutely due to shock. Acrocyanosis can also be a sign of a sinister but slow-growing disease such as cardiac failure. It is also seen in cold agglutinin autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.
Differential Diagnosis
Differential Diagnosis
- Acquired cardiac defects
- Bronchiectasis
- Chronic bronchitis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Cold Agglutinin Disease
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Constitutional acrocyanosis
- Cor Pulmonale
- Feer’s Disease (acrodynia)
- Mitral Stenosis
- Mitral Valve Insufficiency
- Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Perniosis
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Pulmonary Emphysema
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Raynaud’s Syndrome
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Vegetative vasomotoric hyperexcitability
- Venous thrombosis
- Waldenstrom’s Syndrome
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]