| Pallor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A girl with circumoral pallor due to scarlet fever | |
| Specialty | Hematology, Rheumatology, Dermatology |
| Differential diagnosis | Hypopigmentation |
Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eyes on physical examination.
Pallor is more evident on the face and palms. It can develop suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause. It is not usually clinically significant unless it is accompanied by a general pallor (pale lips, tongue, palms, mouth and other regions with mucous membranes). It is distinguished from similar presentations such as hypopigmentation (lack or loss of skin pigment) or simply a fair complexion.
Causes
- migraine attack or headache
- excess estradiol and/or estrone
- osteoporosis
- emotional response, due to fear, embarrassment, grief, rage
- anorexia
- anemia, due to blood loss, poor nutrition, or underlying disease such as sickle cell anemia
- iron deficiency
- vitamin B12 deficiency
- shock, a medical emergency caused by illness or injury
- acute compartment syndrome
- frostbite
- common cold
- cancer
- hypoglycaemia
- bradycardia
- panic attack
- medications
- lead poisoning
- motion sickness
- heart disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- hypothyroidism
- hypopituitarism
- scurvy
- tuberculosis
- sleep deprivation
- pheochromocytoma
- squeamishness
- visceral larva migrans
- Orthostatic hypotension
- methyldopa
- loss of appetite
- Space adaptation syndrome
- fibromyalgia
- Buerger's disease
- Hypovolemia