Living with Congenital livedo reticularis
A skin and blood vessel condition present at birth that causes marbled-looking patches, most often on the legs.
Understanding Congenital livedo reticularis
CMTC causes marbled skin patches, tiny widened blood vessels under the skin (telangiectasia), and varicose veins. It most often shows up on the legs, and sometimes on the arms and trunk. The face is rarely involved. It usually affects one area of skin. The skin changes generally improve with age. CMTC can happen alone or with other birth differences, such as one arm or leg growing smaller or larger than the other.
Signs & symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:
- Marbled-looking skin (cutis marmorata)
- Tiny widened blood vessels in the skin (telangiectasia)
- Skin changes on the legs or arms
- Shorter lower limbs
- Skin erosion or very thin skin
- Bleeding under the skin
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include skin, hair, and nail specialists.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
- 4Connect with expert centers
Vascular Birthmarks Foundation may keep lists of experts for this condition.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- Skin, hair, and nail specialists (dermatologists)
- Expert care
- Expert lists: Vascular Birthmarks Foundation
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with Vascular Birthmarks Foundation and other patient organizations
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
GARD lists autosomal recessive inheritance, where a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent. Most cases are thought to be sporadic, meaning not inherited, though rare cases have run in families.
Also known as: cmtc; cmtc - cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita; cutis marmorata telangiectasia congenita; cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita; cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (disease); van lohuizen's syndrome
Patient organizations
- Vascular Birthmarks FoundationCongenital livedo reticularis · United States
- Children's Skin Disease FoundationSkin diseases · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Congenital livedo reticularis.
Explore research for Congenital livedo reticularis
Explore actively recruiting Congenital livedo reticularis studies with HealthSpark.
Find actively recruiting studies for Congenital livedo reticularis with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.
- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
- Share your city to look for research near you
- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper
I can help you find recruiting Congenital livedo reticularis studies. Enter a ZIP code, address or city below and I'll look within 50 miles.
Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
Get Signals for Congenital livedo reticularis
Stay in the loop with community stories and updates from medical researchers.
Create a living journal that talks back
HealthStory evolves private journaling with a living AI journal that talks back and asks thoughtful questions, helping you capture your Congenital livedo reticularis experiences more deeply and prepare for better conversations with your doctors and care team.
Your journal is private. Sharing your story publicly is a separate choice, made with Share your story above.