Lupus Site - a guide for lupus patients and their families

Livedo reticularis is a disorder in which blood vessels are constricted, or narrowed. It results in mottled discoloring on large areas of the legs or arms.

The mottled look seen in a person with livedo reticularis occurs when some of the blood vessels feeding the skin go into spasm.

Symptoms of livedo reticularis include a mottled, or lace-like, appearance of reddish blue areas on the skin. The mottling is more apparent on the thighs and forearms, and sometimes the lower abdomen.