Petechiae

Definition: Bleeding under the skin may cause tiny reddish-purple dots. These are called petechiae. This type of bleeding under the skin may be caused by:

• injury
• allergic reaction
• autoimmune disorders
• viral illness
• blood poisoning (septicemia)
• low numbers of platelets in the blood (necessary for clotting)
• idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Petechiae is an important symptom that should always be checked by a doctor.

Pronunciation: pa-TEE-kee-ay