Clues to the cause – lacerations

It takes a significant amount of force to cause bleeding under the skin, and so there may be evidence of what caused the trauma. This can take the form of a pattern in the bruise (eg knuckle ‘prints’), or a break in the skin resulting in a wound. Both tend to occur over bony prominences (sticky-outy bits). A laceration is a wound from the shearing force of blunt force trauma. It tends to have a ragged edge, unlike the clean break a blade might make.

Subconjunctival haemorrhage

This is bleeding under a thin, transparent layer over the white sclera of the eye, due to rupture of small blood vessels on the surface of the eye. Despite a perhaps alarming appearance, they do not have much clinical significance. They are usually painless, and can occur spontaneously or with minimal insult (eg sneezing).