Medical Term for Cheek Blush
The medical term for cheek blush is "erythema" when referring to the redness itself, or "flushing" when describing the transient vascular response that causes the redness. 1, 2
Terminology Breakdown
Erythema
- Erythema specifically describes the visible redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow and vasodilation in cutaneous blood vessels 2
- When persistent and located in the central face (including cheeks), it may be termed "centrofacial erythema" 1, 2
- The British Journal of Dermatology characterizes erythema by its intensity and extent of facial involvement 1
Flushing
- Flushing refers to the transient, episodic reddening that comes and goes, typically triggered by emotional stimuli, temperature changes, or other factors 1, 3
- The British Journal of Dermatology characterizes flushing by intensity, frequency, duration, area involved, and associated symptoms 1
- This represents a vascular skin response mediated by changes in cutaneous blood flow 3, 4
Clinical Context
When Blush is Physiologic
- Normal emotional blushing represents a sympathetically-mediated vascular response that causes sudden increases in facial skin blood flux 4, 5
- This is typically a benign, self-limited phenomenon lasting approximately 3 minutes 4
When Blush May Indicate Pathology
- Persistent centrofacial erythema with periodic intensification by trigger factors meets diagnostic criteria for rosacea 1, 6
- Rosacea-associated erythema results from increased blood flow and vasodilation during disease flares, accentuating central facial redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, and medial forehead 2
- Other serious conditions requiring exclusion include carcinoid syndrome, pheochromocytoma, mastocytosis, and anaphylaxis 3
Key Distinguishing Features
The British Journal of Dermatology emphasizes that flushing/transient erythema alone is NOT independently diagnostic of rosacea, but when combined with persistent background erythema in a centrofacial distribution, it becomes clinically significant 1, 2