# Stretch marks (striae)

- Category: chronic
- Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page)
- Sources: Cushing Syndrome - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470218/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class SD99.06 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
- Verified date: 2026-08

## Verified against

- No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
- Stretch marks (striae) - disease-level clinical article (striae-distensae-clinical.txt)

## Treatment metadata

- No drug therapy in primary care (Recognition & Referral)

## Complete treatment card

```text
STRETCH MARKS (STRIAE)
Sources: Cushing Syndrome - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf -
         https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470218/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification
         of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class SD99.06 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose -
         referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
Review status: REVIEWED against No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care,
               Stretch marks (striae) - disease-level clinical article (striae-
               distensae-clinical.txt)  (2026-08)

IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination
  SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (4)
    - Striae often follow skin stretching from pregnancy, a growth spurt, heavy muscle building, or
      weight gain  [stretch marks · weight gain]
    - A history of potent topical or prolonged systemic steroid use is worth asking about
    - Early striae rubrae can itch, though most striae cause no symptoms otherwise  [itching ·
      stretch marks]
    - The harm is cosmetic and psychological, and it can be considerable
  SIGNS - what you find (5)
    - Early lesions are slightly raised pink to purple lines that later flatten into pale, thinned,
      wrinkled scars  [pallor · scarring]
    - The lines run at right angles to the direction of skin tension
    - Pregnancy-related striae typically appear on the abdomen, breasts, and thighs  [stretch marks]
    - In teenagers, girls tend to show striae on the thighs, buttocks, and breasts, while boys show
      them on the back  [stretch marks]
    - They form wherever skin is stretched quickly: abdomen, buttocks, thighs, breasts, back, and
      also the armpits and the groin
  TESTS (3)
    - No standardized or validated method exists to grade the type or severity of striae
    - Dermoscopy shows increased pigment in early red striae and reduced pigment in the pale, older
      ones
    - Biopsy is not usually needed or clinically useful for evaluating striae
  Source  StatPearls "Striae Distensae" - disease-level clinical article
  Status  traced to the source above

1. NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (RECOGNITION & REFERRAL)[1st line]
   Adult    Stretch marks from pregnancy, weight change, or corticosteroid use; primarily cosmetic,
            and reassurance is the main management in general practice. - Refer
   Peds     Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is
            implied.
   Source   No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
   Why      Stretch marks from pregnancy, weight change, or corticosteroid use; primarily cosmetic,
            and reassurance is the main management in general practice.
   Caution  Widespread purple striae with other signs (central weight gain, easy bruising, high
            blood pressure) may indicate Cushing's syndrome or chronic steroid use and warrant
            further work-up.
            No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and
            referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.
            RED FLAG - Striae can occasionally signal an underlying endocrine disorder such as
            Cushing syndrome warranting further systemic evaluation.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.
```

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