Raynaud’s Disease
Splinter hemorrhages are small spots of blood that appear on the skin in response to trauma. Though they occur most commonly due to a traumatic injury, they may also be caused by Raynaud’s disease, an autoimmune condition. Raynaud’s disease occurs when the body attacks the capillaries and blood vessels in the hands and feet, which causes them to constrict or close off. Because of this, you might see splinter hemorrhages on parts of your hands or toes, especially if there has been some trauma.
For this to happen, there needs to be a certain amount of damage that is sustained to the area. This could be as simple as cutting yourself while shaving or puncturing your finger with a needle while sewing. In these situations, you will likely see several tiny pinpoint dots of blood on the surface of your skin rather than just one larger spot. This is because when you have one larger area from a single point of contact with a sharp object, it is more likely that the object will pierce straight through the skin and cause bleeding within the dermal layer.
