Russian television presenter Lera Kudryavtseva has been diagnosed with Achenbach syndrome, a rare medical condition that causes haematomas to appear on the fingers. The television star disclosed the diagnosis on the talk show Zvezdy Soshlis, in an episode published on the website of Russian broadcaster NTV.
According to Kudryavtseva, she first noticed the symptoms of the illness while filming an episode of Zvezdy Soshlis. Badly frightened by the sudden reaction on set, the presenter abandoned the shoot and went straight to a doctor.
Describing how the episode unfolded, Kudryavtseva said her thumb began swelling right before her eyes during the recording, turning large and red with a protruding vein. She said the swelling subsided after about five minutes, leaving behind a heavy bruise that stretched across half of her hand.
Surgeon diagnosis and Achenbach syndrome
After she abandoned filming and went to see a doctor, a surgeon told Kudryavtseva that she had Achenbach syndrome. Speaking about the diagnosis on the programme, she said the condition does not depend on anything at all and is not dangerous to life.
Kudryavtseva explained that the disorder is caused by weak capillaries and fragile blood vessels, adding that the sudden bruising can happen completely out of nowhere without a specific trigger.
In medical literature, Achenbach syndrome, also known as paroxysmal finger haematoma, is a rare, benign vascular condition first described by the German physician Walter Achenbach in 1958. It causes spontaneous subcutaneous bleeding in the fingers or palm, leading to rapid localized swelling, redness and bruising that resolves without permanent damage. Because the sudden discolouration looks dramatic, the condition often alarms patients even though underlying circulation remains normal.
NTV television career and earlier panic attack
Kudryavtseva is one of the best-known entertainment presenters in Russia and a longtime face of NTV, one of the major national television networks in the country. Alongside co-hosting the celebrity discussion programme Zvezdy Soshlis, she is widely known to Russian audiences for presenting the interview show Sekret na million and major televised music festivals.
The revelation about her vascular condition follows an earlier health scare that Kudryavtseva discussed in public. According to the presenter, she previously experienced a panic attack that struck while she was on amusement park rides.
