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spider nevus

spider nevus

8.4
A small red spot on the skin with short red lines spreading like a spider
  • noun
  • /ˈspaɪdər ˈniːvəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nevo araña
  • A spider nevus is easily recognized by its central red spot and radiating vessels.

Examples

  • Chronic liver disease can often lead to the appearance of multiple spider nevi on the skin.

  • The dermatologist identified a spider nevus on the patient's cheek during the examination.

  • The doctor pointed out a spider nevus on my arm.

  • Many people have spider naevi without any health concerns.

  • A spider nevus is easily recognized by its central red spot and radiating vessels.

  • The dermatologist identified a spider nevus on the patient's cheek during the examination.

  • Many people have spider nevi without any health concerns.

Synonyms

vascular spider
vsspider nevus
  • Specialized
8.7

A small red spot on the skin with thin red lines spreading out from the middle

is the same lesion but often called by a different medical term
spider angioma
vsspider nevus
  • Specialized
7.7

A small red mark on the skin with a dot in the middle and thin red lines like a spider

is the same visible lesion but often called by the other synonymous name
telangiectasia
vsspider nevus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small widened blood vessel near the skin that looks like a thin red line

is narrower describing a spider-shaped lesion with radiating capillaries
telangiectasis
vsspider nevus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small widened blood vessel near the skin or inside the mouth that you can see

focuses on a specific spider-shaped lesion rather than the general condition

Surface Forms

spider nevus singular
spider nevi plural

Morphology

spider + nevus

The compound combines 'spider' (indicating a spider-like radiating shape) with 'nevus' (a skin blemish), so the idea of a skin lesion with radiating capillaries is directly inferable from the constituents. This shape-based naming is common in medical vocabulary and across languages, making the MWE readily understandable to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Spider nevus gets its name from how it looks: a small red spot with thin lines spreading out like a spider's legs, and nevus is a medical word for a skin spot. So, doctors use the name to mean 'a small, spider-shaped blood vessel on the skin'.