Hematoma
Medical Author: Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor: Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP
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, swelling and
redness. Symptoms of a hematoma depend upon their location, their size and
whether they cause associated swelling or edema.
Bruises and contusions
The medical term ecchymosis is what most people would recognize as a bruise, or blood that
has leaked out of a broken blood vessel under the skin that is caused by an
injury. Another word for this injury is a contusion. An ecchymosis
tends to be flat while a hematoma has more of a three dimensional character to
it. As well, hematomas may occur in any organ and not just under the skin.
Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage is the term used to describe active bleeding. The term hematoma
describes blood that has already clotted.
Next: What causes a hematoma? »
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