Light-skinned patients with chronic renal disease often have a characteristic skin color associated with retained urochrome pigments and anemia described as

Question

a. bright red to ruddy appearance. c. orange-yellow coloration.
b. grayish cast to their skin. d. brown cast to their skin.

Answer 1

B
A grayish cast to the skin is abnormal; seen in renal patients; and associated with chronic anemia. Uremia secondary to renal failure results in serum urochrome pigment retention. A bright red to ruddy appearance that is evident on the skin, mucous membranes, and palmar and plantar surfaces is abnormal in both light- and dark-skinned individuals. This ruddy appearance is the result of polycythemia or an increased number of red blood cells. An orange-yellow coloration is the result of jaundice. A brown cast to the skin occurs when there is a deposition of melanin that can be caused by genetic predisposition, pregnancy, Addison's disease, cafe au lait spots, and sunlight.