Spider angioma

Spider angiomas are very common. They often occur in pregnant women and in people with liver disease. They can appear in both children and adults. They get their name because the mark looks similar to a red spider.

They appear most often on the face, neck, upper part of the trunk, arms, and fingers.

Your health care provider will examine the spider angioma on your skin. You may be asked if you have any other symptoms.

Most of the time, you do not need tests to diagnose the condition. But sometimes, a skin biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Blood tests may be done if a liver problem is suspected.

Spider angiomas usually do not need treatment, but burning (electrocautery) or laser treatment is sometimes done.

Spider angiomas in children may disappear after puberty, and often disappear after a woman gives birth. Untreated, spider angiomas tend to last in adults.

Treatment is often successful.

Let your provider know if you have a new spider angioma so they can check for other related medical conditions.

Nevus araneus; Spider telangiectasia; Vascular spider; Spider nevus; Arterial spiders

Dinulos JGH. Vascular tumors and malformations. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 23.

Kelly R, Baker C. Other vascular disorders. In: Bolognia JL, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L, eds. Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 106.

Martin KL. Vascular anomalies. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 691.

Updated by: Ramin Fathi, MD, FAAD, Director, Phoenix Surgical Dermatology Group, Phoenix, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.