Hematoma »
What is a hematoma?
By definition, a hematoma is a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel.
It occurs because the wall of a blood vessel wall,
artery, vein or capillary,
has been damaged and blood has leaked into tissues where it does not
belong. The hematoma may be tiny, with just a dot of blood or it can be large
and cause significant swelling.
The blood vessels in the body are under constant repair.
Minor injuries occur routinely and the body is usually able to repair the
damaged vessel wall by activating the blood clotting cascade and forming fibrin patches. Sometimes the
repair fails if the damage is extensive and the large defect allows for
continued bleeding. As well, if there is great pressure within the blood vessel,
for example a major artery, the blood will continue to leak and the hematoma
will expand.
Blood that escapes from the blood stream is very irritating and may cause
symptoms of inflammation including pain, ...
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