Small, pinpoint red or purple spots on the skin caused by minor bleeding from broken capillary blood vessels. Often indicates low platelet count, blood clotting disorders, or certain infections.
From Italian 'petecchie' meaning 'flea-bites,' from Latin 'petere' (to seek, attack). The term arose because these tiny red spots resemble flea bites in size and appearance. Italian physicians in the Renaissance period coined this descriptive term, which spread throughout European medical literature.
Petechiae don't blanch when you press on them because they're actual tiny hemorrhages under the skin, not just dilated blood vessels! They're like microscopic bruises and can be an early warning sign of serious bleeding disorders.
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