Which term describes a contained collection of blood under the skin that can be sizable after trauma?

Which term describes a contained collection of blood under the skin that can be sizable after trauma?

• A. Epistaxis
• B. Hematoma
• C. Contusion
• D. Avulsion

Answer: (B)

When tissue bleeds and blood pools beneath the skin, forming a localized lump, that’s a hematoma. The blood has leaked from damaged vessels and becomes trapped in the soft tissues, which can make the area sizable and tender. This differs from a contusion, which is a bruise from more diffuse bleeding that doesn’t create a discrete pocket of pooled blood. Epistaxis refers to a nosebleed, not under-skin bleeding, and avulsion is the tearing away of tissue, not simply a blood collection.

When tissue bleeds and blood pools beneath the skin, forming a localized lump, that’s a hematoma. The blood has leaked from damaged vessels and becomes trapped in the soft tissues, which can make the area sizable and tender. This differs from a contusion, which is a bruise from more diffuse bleeding that doesn’t create a discrete pocket of pooled blood. Epistaxis refers to a nosebleed, not under-skin bleeding, and avulsion is the tearing away of tissue, not simply a blood collection.