DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Blue skin

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: e.g. appears with cold exposure suggests Raynaud's phenomenon and livedo reticularis.

Why: may suggest an arterial or venous thrombosis.

Why: this indicates a lack of blood supply to those parts of the body and may indicate exposure to cold, Raynaud's disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, peripheral vascular disease, left ventricular failure or shock.

Why: e.g. potassium chlorate, sulfanilamide and coal tar may cause hemoglobin abnormalities and thus central cyanosis.

Why: if blue hands, possible causes of Raynaud's phenomenon include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polyarteritis nodosa, Buerger's disease, polycythaemia, leukemia, polymyositis , dermatomyositis.

Why: beta-blocker blood pressure medications and ergotamine can cause Raynaud's phenomenon.

Why: aggravates Raynaud's phenomenon and peripheral vascular disease.

Why: vibrating machinery workers are at risk of Raynaud's phenomenon.

Why: may indicate central cyanosis which is due to a lack of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood vessels and thus may indicate high altitude, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary embolism, cyanotic congenital heart disease, polycythaemia or hemoglobin abnormalities. Any cause of central cyanosis can cause peripheral cyanosis and thus blue skin.

Why: should consider a lung or heart origin for the blue hands e.g. cyanotic congenital heart disease, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary fibrosis or pulmonary emphysema.

Why: e.g. sequential discoloration of the digits from pallor to blueness to redness upon exposure to cold. When fingers become red they are painful.