An
ecchymosis is a
subcutaneous spot of bleeding (from
extravasation of blood) with diameter larger than . It is similar to (and sometimes indistinguishable from) a
hematoma, commonly called a
bruise, though the terms are not interchangeable in careful
usage. Specifically,
bruises are caused by trauma whereas
ecchymoses, which are the same as the spots of
purpura except larger, are not
necessarily caused by trauma, often being caused by
pathophysiologic cell function.