Ahematoma, also spelledhaematoma, orblood suffusion is a localizedbleeding outside ofblood vessels, due to either disease or trauma including injury or surgery[1] and may involve blood continuing to seep from brokencapillaries. A hematoma isbenign and is initially in liquid form spread among the tissues including in sacs between tissues where it maycoagulate and solidify before blood is reabsorbed into blood vessels. Anecchymosis is a hematoma of the skin larger than 10 mm.[2]
Intramuscular hematoma development and progression on thevastus lateralis muscle from 6 hours after trauma to 86 hours
Some hematomas are visible under the surface of the skin (commonly called bruises) or possibly felt as masses or lumps. Lumps may be caused by the limitation of the blood to a sac,subcutaneous or intramuscular tissue space isolated by fascial planes. This is an anatomical feature that helps prevent injuries from causing massive blood loss. In most cases a hematoma as a sac of blood eventually dissolves; however, in some cases it may continue to grow due to blood seepage or show no change. If the sac of blood does not disappear, then it may need to be surgically cleaned out or repaired.
The slow process of reabsorption of hematomas can allow the broken down blood cells and hemoglobin pigment to move in the connective tissue. For example, a patient who injures the base of their thumb might cause a hematoma, which will slowly move all through their finger within a week.Gravity is the main determinant of this process.
Hematomas onarticulations can reduce mobility of a member and present roughly the same symptoms as afracture.
In most cases, movement and exercise of the affected muscle is the best way to introduce the collection back into the bloodstream.
Intramuscular hematoma atbuttocks as a result of asports injuryLeft to right: Epidural, subdural, and intracranial hematoma of the brainHematoma of the ankle caused by a 3rd degreesprain
The English word "haematoma"[9] came into use in 1826. The word derives from theGreek αἷμαhaima "blood" and -ωμα-oma, a suffix forming nouns indicating a mass or tumor.[10]
^Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Aster, Jon C., eds. (2017-03-28).Robbins basic pathology. Illustrated by Perkins, James A. (10th ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 101.ISBN9780323353175.OCLC960844656.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, (revised 1970)
