Diseases of the skin and digestive system: is there a connection?

When a patient with complaints of a skin disease comes to see a dermatologist, the doctor usually recommends that, in addition to various diagnostic examinations, it is mandatory  get advice from a gastroenterologist. This recommendation is well founded, since a number of serious diseases of the digestive system are manifested by symptoms and pathological conditions on the patient's skin. Timely and correct definition  internal diseases will help not only correctly prescribe the treatment of the root cause of skin pathologies, but will determine an adequate choice of therapy for skin diseases.

Why skin diseases are associated with gastroenterological problems

According to many researchers, human skin and its digestive system are interconnected not only by some common physiological functions, but even by structure. So, both the skin and the digestive organs in the embryonic period are formed from epithelial cells that develop from three germ layers. Both the skin and the digestive system have an integumentary epithelium as well as a secretion-producing glandular epithelium.

On the other hand, just as the skin performs the functions of human interaction with the environment, in contact with objects of the outside world, so the gastrointestinal tract communicates with the environment at both ends, perceives the food that came from outside as the most important component of this environment.

The commonality of the structure and functions of the skin with the digestive system probably determines some overlap in their reactions to a number of factors:

• a pathological reaction to taking certain medications is necessarily manifested by a failure in both systems;
• eating disorders, food allergies are accompanied by the development of urticaria, swelling and itching in the lips;
• very often, the same patient has both skin diseases and gastrointestinal diseases at the same time.

In addition, tumors of the digestive system and malignant neoplasms of the skin occupy the most significant place in the structure of oncological morbidity.

What skin diseases can indicate internal diseases

As many observations show, a number of diseases of the digestive system correlate with characteristic dermatological syndromes.

Acute pancreatitis may be associated with the following skin conditions:

• necrotic panniculitis – soft red subcutaneous nodules, which can appear up to three weeks earlier than the underlying disease that caused them, are of different sizes, disappear on their own after a couple of weeks, leaving behind hyperpigmented spots;
• erythema migrans – within a week or two, erymatous spots develop, turning into large blisters, and then in their place there are foci of peeling and spots of bronze color.

Chronic pancreatitis is often manifested by the symptom of "red droplets"; - when small vascular aneurysms appear on the skin of the chest, abdomen and back.

Chronic liver diseases can be manifested by the following skin diseases:

• Gilbert-Hano symptom – erythema on the palms, petechiae on the legs and arms, acne on the face, telangiectasia on the face and body;
• leukonychia – matte white nails on the hands and feet, without a visible border with the nail hole.

Cirrhosis of the liver – armpit hair disappears, nails become deformed like watch glasses or change color – white above and dark with a transverse stripe below, fine vascular mesh on the skin of the face is possible.

Chronic viral hepatitis – skin purpura, itchy rash on extensor surfaces, sometimes turning into blisters and ulcers, sometimes hyperkeratosis, rounded and purple, with a scaly coating; possible attachment of polyarteritis nodosa.

Crohn's disease can be manifested by the following skin diseases: erythema nodosum, Hippocratic fingers (drumstick syndrome), rashes on the oral mucosa, rash on the body.

Ulcerative colitis is often associated with aphthous stomatitis, with a papular rash near the ears, on the sides of the neck, around the lips, eyes, and wings of the nose. Perhaps the development of acral warty hyperkeratosis, the appearance of hemangiomas, lipomas, and other skin formations.