Petechia | |
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Other names | Petechiae |
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Petechiae on the tongue in a person with platelets (platelet count) of 3 G/L (normal: 150–450 G/L) due to ITP | |
Pronunciation |
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Specialty | Rheumatology ![]() |
A petechia (/pɪˈtiːkiə/;[1] pl.: petechiae) is a small red or purple spot (≤4 mm in diameter) that can appear on the skin, conjunctiva, retina, and mucous membranes which is caused by haemorrhage of capillaries.[2][3] The word is derived from Italian petecchia 'freckle', of obscure origin.[1] It refers to one of the three descriptive types of hematoma differentiated by size, the other two being ecchymosis (>1cm in diameter) and purpura (4-10mm in diameter). The term is typically used in the plural (petechiae), since a single petechia is seldom noticed or significant.