Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Petechiae

Ailbhe McGrath  1 , Michael J. Barrett  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Petechiae

Ailbhe McGrath et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Petechiae are pinpoint non-blanching spots that measure less than 2 mm in size, which affects the skin and mucous membranes. A non-blanching spot is one that does not disappear after applying brief pressure to the area. Purpura is a non-blanching spot that measures greater than 2 mm. Petechial rashes are a common presentation to the pediatric emergency department (PED). Non-blanching rashes can be a great cause for concern for parents and physicians alike. Therefore, careful assessment and evaluation are necessary to formulate a sensible management plan.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Ailbhe McGrath declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Michael Barrett declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Ranganathan D, John GT. Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Renal Disorders. Indian J Nephrol. 2019 May-Jun;29(3):151-159. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Iba T, Watanabe E, Umemura Y, Wada T, Hayashida K, Kushimoto S, Japanese Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guideline Working Group for disseminated intravascular coagulation. Wada H. Sepsis-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation and its differential diagnoses. J Intensive Care. 2019;7:32. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Clark WF, Huang SS. Introduction to therapeutic plasma exchange. Transfus Apher Sci. 2019 Jun;58(3):228-229. - PubMed
    1. Sargentini-Maier ML, De Decker P, Tersteeg C, Canvin J, Callewaert F, De Winter H. Clinical pharmacology of caplacizumab for the treatment of patients with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2019 Jun;12(6):537-545. - PubMed
    1. Joly BS, Coppo P, Veyradier A. An update on pathogenesis and diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Expert Rev Hematol. 2019 Jun;12(6):383-395. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources