haematoma

n.

an accumulation of blood within the tissues that clots to form a solid swelling. Injury, disease of the blood vessels, or a clotting disorder of the blood are the usual causative factors. An intracranial haematoma causes symptoms by compressing the brain and by raising the pressure within the skull. A blunt injury to the head, especially the temple, may tear the middle meningeal artery, giving rise to a rapidly accumulating extradural haematoma requiring urgent surgical treatment. In elderly people a relatively slight head injury may tear the veins where they cross the space beneath the dura, giving rise to a subdural haematoma. Excellent results are obtained by surgical treatment. An intracerebral haematoma may be a consequence of severe head injury but is more often due to atheromatous disease of the cerebral arteries and high blood pressure resulting in bleeding into the brain.

See also: perianal haematoma