Question: I am 62 years old, and occasionally I will feel a little pain and notice that a small blood vessel has broken in a finger or toe. A purple spot develops that goes away in a couple of days. I am of normal weight, and the only prescription I take is Synthroid. Should I be worried?

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

Painful spots in your fingers and toes need to be evaluated by your doctor. While a broken blood vessel is possible, spontaneous rupture is unusual, and is usually not painful unless there is inflammation associated with the rupture.

“Purple spots" need to be examined by a trained eye for any sign of vasculitis (inflammation of a blood vessel), embolism (especially infectious), or other disorder that may appear similar.

One of the signs of subacute bacterial endocarditis is the presence of splinter hemorrhages (small splinter-like dark streaks in nail beds) and "Roth’s spots" (small, red lesions in the retina of the eye). See your doctor or dermatologist for an evaluation.