Generalized essential telangiectasia, also known as general essential telangiectasia,[1] is characterized by the dilation of veins and capillaries over a large segment of the body without preceding or coexisting lesions, telengiectases that may be distributed over the entire body or be localized to some large area such as the legs, arms, or trunk.

Generalized essential telangiectasia is defined by the appearance of extensive telangiectases on the skin, which gradually extend to other parts of the body over time.

[7] The lower legs and feet are more likely to have lesions, leading to the hypothesis that gravity and hydrostatic pressures are related.

[4][5] According to one author, a case of generalized essential telangiectasia might have been caused by a vitamin C deficiency brought on by a colitis-related restrictive diet, which resulted in a down-regulation of collagen formation.

[8] Generalized essential telangiectasia is a clinical diagnosis made after ruling out systemic sources of telangiectases.