BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuBleeding into the skinEcchymoses; Skin spots - red; Pinpoint red spots on the skin; Petechiae; PurpuraBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in larger flat areas (called purpura), or in a very large bruised area (called an ecchymosis).PurpuraPurpura is purple-colored spots and patches that occur on the skin, and in mucus membranes, including the lining of the mouth.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Considerations Aside from the common bruise, bleeding into the skin or mucous membranes is a very significant sign and should always be checked out by a health care provider.Redness of the skin (erythema) should not be mistaken for bleeding. Areas of bleeding under the skin do not become paler (blanch) when you press on the area, like the redness from erythema does. Causes Many things can cause bleeding under the skin. Some of them are:Injury or trauma Allergic reaction Allergic reactionAllergic reactions are sensitivities to substances called allergens that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastroin...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Autoimmune disorders Autoimmune disordersAn autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Viral infection or illness affecting blood clotting (coagulation) Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) ThrombocytopeniaThrombocytopenia means there is an abnormally low amount of platelets. Platelets are parts of the blood that help blood to clot. This condition is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Medical treatment, including radiation and chemotherapy ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Antiplatelet medicines such as clopidogrel (Plavix) Bruise (ecchymosis) Birth (petechiae in the newborn) Aging skin (ecchymosis) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (petechiae and purpura) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpuraImmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder in which the immune system destroys platelets, which are necessary for normal blood clot...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Henoch-Schonlein purpura (purpura) Henoch-Schonlein purpuraIgA vasculitis is a disease that involves purple spots on the skin, joint pain, gastrointestinal problems, and glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Leukemia (purpura and ecchymosis) Medicines -- Anticoagulants such as warfarin or heparin (ecchymosis), aspirin (ecchymosis), steroids (ecchymosis) Septicemia (petechiae, purpura, ecchymosis) SepticemiaSepticemia is bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) that often occurs with severe infections. Also called sepsis, septicemia is a serious, life-threate...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Protect aging skin. Avoid trauma such as bumping or pulling on skin areas. For a cut or scrape, use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.If you have a drug reaction, ask your provider about stopping the drug. Otherwise, follow your prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause of the problem. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if:You have sudden bleeding into the skin for no apparent reason You notice unexplained bruising that does not go away What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine you and ask questions about the bleeding, such as:Have you recently had an injury or accident? Have you been ill lately? Have you had radiation therapy or chemotherapy? What other medical treatments have you had? Do you take aspirin more than once a week? Do you take Coumadin, heparin, or other "blood thinners" (anticoagulants)? Has the bleeding occurred repeatedly? Have you always had a tendency to bleed into the skin? Did the bleeding start in infancy (for example, with circumcision)? Did it start with surgery or when you had a tooth pulled?The following diagnostic tests may be performed:Coagulation tests including INR, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and levels of clotting factors CoagulationBleeding time is a medical test that measures how fast small blood vessels in the skin stop bleeding. Because it is difficult to perform correctly, i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC) with platelet count and blood differential Complete blood count (CBC)A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Platelet countA platelet count is a lab test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets are particles in the blood that help the blood clot. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood differentialThe blood differential test measures the percentage of each type of white blood cell (WBC) that you have in your blood. It also reveals if there are...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bone marrow biopsyBone marrow biopsyA bone marrow biopsy is the removal of marrow from inside bone. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. It is foun...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesHayward CPM, Ma AD. Evaluation of the patient with suspected bleeding disorders. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 126.Juliano JJ, Cohen MS, Weber DJ. The acutely ill patient with fever and rash. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 57.Schafer AI. Approach to the patient with bleeding and thrombosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 162.AllVideoImagesTogBlack eye - illustration A black eye is caused by bleeding into the tissue around the eye. This most often follows trauma. The medical term for this type of bruising is ecchymosis.Black eyeillustrationBlack eye - illustration A black eye is caused by bleeding into the tissue around the eye. This most often follows trauma. The medical term for this type of bruising is ecchymosis.Black eyeillustrationSelf Care Urostomy - stoma and skin careSkin flaps and grafts - self-careBleeding during cancer treatmentSkin lesion removal - aftercareIleostomy - caring for your stoma Tests for Bleeding into the skin Skin lesion biopsyRelated Information Bruise(Injury)Purpura(Symptoms)Rashes(Symptoms)Paleness(Symptoms) Review Date: 4/27/2023 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Bleeding into the skinEcchymoses; Skin spots - red; Pinpoint red spots on the skin; Petechiae; PurpuraBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in larger flat areas (called purpura), or in a very large bruised area (called an ecchymosis).PurpuraPurpura is purple-colored spots and patches that occur on the skin, and in mucus membranes, including the lining of the mouth.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Considerations Aside from the common bruise, bleeding into the skin or mucous membranes is a very significant sign and should always be checked out by a health care provider.Redness of the skin (erythema) should not be mistaken for bleeding. Areas of bleeding under the skin do not become paler (blanch) when you press on the area, like the redness from erythema does. Causes Many things can cause bleeding under the skin. Some of them are:Injury or trauma Allergic reaction Allergic reactionAllergic reactions are sensitivities to substances called allergens that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastroin...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Autoimmune disorders Autoimmune disordersAn autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Viral infection or illness affecting blood clotting (coagulation) Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) ThrombocytopeniaThrombocytopenia means there is an abnormally low amount of platelets. Platelets are parts of the blood that help blood to clot. This condition is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Medical treatment, including radiation and chemotherapy ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Antiplatelet medicines such as clopidogrel (Plavix) Bruise (ecchymosis) Birth (petechiae in the newborn) Aging skin (ecchymosis) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (petechiae and purpura) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpuraImmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder in which the immune system destroys platelets, which are necessary for normal blood clot...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Henoch-Schonlein purpura (purpura) Henoch-Schonlein purpuraIgA vasculitis is a disease that involves purple spots on the skin, joint pain, gastrointestinal problems, and glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Leukemia (purpura and ecchymosis) Medicines -- Anticoagulants such as warfarin or heparin (ecchymosis), aspirin (ecchymosis), steroids (ecchymosis) Septicemia (petechiae, purpura, ecchymosis) SepticemiaSepticemia is bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) that often occurs with severe infections. Also called sepsis, septicemia is a serious, life-threate...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Protect aging skin. Avoid trauma such as bumping or pulling on skin areas. For a cut or scrape, use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.If you have a drug reaction, ask your provider about stopping the drug. Otherwise, follow your prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause of the problem. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if:You have sudden bleeding into the skin for no apparent reason You notice unexplained bruising that does not go away What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine you and ask questions about the bleeding, such as:Have you recently had an injury or accident? Have you been ill lately? Have you had radiation therapy or chemotherapy? What other medical treatments have you had? Do you take aspirin more than once a week? Do you take Coumadin, heparin, or other "blood thinners" (anticoagulants)? Has the bleeding occurred repeatedly? Have you always had a tendency to bleed into the skin? Did the bleeding start in infancy (for example, with circumcision)? Did it start with surgery or when you had a tooth pulled?The following diagnostic tests may be performed:Coagulation tests including INR, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and levels of clotting factors CoagulationBleeding time is a medical test that measures how fast small blood vessels in the skin stop bleeding. Because it is difficult to perform correctly, i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC) with platelet count and blood differential Complete blood count (CBC)A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Platelet countA platelet count is a lab test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets are particles in the blood that help the blood clot. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood differentialThe blood differential test measures the percentage of each type of white blood cell (WBC) that you have in your blood. It also reveals if there are...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bone marrow biopsyBone marrow biopsyA bone marrow biopsy is the removal of marrow from inside bone. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. It is foun...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesHayward CPM, Ma AD. Evaluation of the patient with suspected bleeding disorders. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 126.Juliano JJ, Cohen MS, Weber DJ. The acutely ill patient with fever and rash. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 57.Schafer AI. Approach to the patient with bleeding and thrombosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 162.