The condition where the skin on the thenar and hypothenar eminences of both palms appears red and becomes pale upon pressure, with thinning of the skin, is called "cinnabar palm." It is referred to as "red palm" in "Clinical Essentials."

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Liver-kidney Yin Deficiency︰The skin color of the thenar eminence is bright red, accompanied by low-grade fever or afternoon tidal fever, dizziness, tinnitus, emaciation, dull complexion, insomnia with dreamfulness, dry mouth and throat, gum bleeding, dark urine, a red and thin tongue with little or no coating, and a thready rapid pulse. Prolonged retention of dampness-heat or chronic stagnation transforming into fire depletes liver and kidney yin. Alternatively, chronic sexually transmitted diseases that persist unhealed may affect the kidneys over time, damaging kidney essence and depriving the liver of nourishment, leading to liver-kidney yin deficiency and internal heat. This heat damages the blood vessels, causing blood to extravasate and resulting in reddening of the palms. In clinical diagnosis, apart from the "cinnabar palms," symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, mental fatigue, emaciation, a red and thin tongue with scant coating—indicative of liver and kidney yin and essence deficiency—are observed. Treatment should focus on nourishing liver and kidney yin-blood, supplemented by resolving stasis and activating blood. The recommended formula is Wolfberry and Chrysanthemum Rehmannia Pill with the addition of vinegar-treated turtle carapace, raw Peach Kernel, and raw Curcuma Root.
2. Static Blood︰The thenar eminence is dark red in complexion, the overall complexion is dusky, there are hard masses beneath both hypochondria with stabbing pain, and the abdominal veins are prominent. Spider nevi are commonly seen on the head, neck, and chest, with gingival hemorrhage or epistaxis. The pulse is deep and wiry or wiry and large, and the tongue texture is dark red, thin, small, and lacking coating. The syndrome arises from the imbalance of the seven emotions, leading to liver depression and qi stagnation; or prolonged retention of dampness-heat in the liver and gallbladder, impairing their free-flowing function. Over time, qi stagnation leads to blood stasis, and the stagnation of blood collaterals results in "cinnabar palms." The clinical features include dark red palms, accompanied by hypochondriac masses, prominent abdominal veins, spider nevi on the neck and chest, and a purple-dark tongue texture with ecchymosis, all indicative of blood stasis. In contrast, cinnabar palms due to liver-kidney yin deficiency appear slightly bright red, accompanied by dizziness, deafness, and a red, thin, small tongue, reflecting liver and kidney deficiency. For cases of static blood stagnation, treatment should focus on Infradiaphragmatic Stasis-Expelling Decoction or modified Rhubarb and Eupolyphaga Pill.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Zabing Yuanliu Xizhu．The Origin and Development of Diseases of the Shoulder, Arm, Elbow, Wrist, and HandLingshu says: Heat in the palm indicates heat in the abdomen, cold in the middle of the palm indicates cold in the middle of the abdomen. The "Tongren Tu" states: "Cold in the stomach causes the collaterals of the thenar eminence to appear bluish, while heat in the stomach causes the collaterals of the thenar eminence to appear red."