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.