An allergic shiner is a dark discoloration below the eye that is associated with

allergic rhinitis Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

and often seen in conjunction with bilateral

Dennie–Morgan fold A Dennie–Morgan fold, also known as a Dennie–Morgan line or an infraorbital fold, is a fold or line in the skin below the lower eyelid. It can simply be an ethnic/genetic trait, but was found in one study to occur in 25% of patients with atopic ...

s. These shiners are caused by venous congestion within the

infraorbital groove The infraorbital groove (or sulcus) is located in the middle of the posterior part of the orbital surface of the maxilla. Its function is to act as the passage of the infraorbital artery, the infraorbital vein, and the infraorbital nerve. Struc ...

, particularly from the

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes th ...

. The characteristic infraorbital discoloration related to allergic shiners is due to a backup in the venous network supplying the mucous membranes of the paranasal and nasal cavities draining primarily via the branches of the sphenopalatine veins passing backward to the

pterygoid plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

. While a classic finding in pediatric patients with

, these particular shiners will persist into adulthood if their allergies are not successfully addressed. The phenomenon was first documented in 1930 with the phrase being coined in 1954.

References

{{Reflist Medical signs