What is the difference between a hematoma and just regular bruising?

Dr. Seckel and others have clearly defined these terms; to give an analogy to make it easy to understand. Imagine a hematoma to be a balloon filled with blood; you pop it and it can be drained. Bruising is essentially like having blood soak up a sponge; the tissue gets soaked with blood. You cannot drain it. The body needs to slowly absorb and break it down. All bruising will eventually disappear without complications while if a hematoma is not drained, it can cause significant problems.

MSG222A hematoma is a collection of blood in the space under the skin that is sizable. Imagine a baseball size of blood under the skin.Bruising can be seen with a hematoma but is basically discoloration of the skin as blood breaks down.If you are concerned about this you should follow up with your physician for an exam.I hope this was helpful,Dr. Daniel BarrettPlastic and Reconstructive SurgeryBeverly Hills, CA