Original MICA image-reading exercise, unscored. No clinical narrative absent from the source is added.
- Describe visible findings before proposing an interpretation.
- Suggest an interpretation and at least one image limitation.
- Which clinical findings or investigations would complement this observation?
Reveal the explained reading
Ecchymoses
- Lesion
- Larger cutaneous haemorrhage
- Surface
- Usually intact skin
- Context
- Trauma or spontaneous bleeding
- Predisposition
- Skin fragility, medicines
Morphological description
Measure extent and describe borders, colour and pain; swelling may suggest a haematoma.
Causes and diagnostic direction
Trauma, platelet or coagulation disorders and antithrombotic treatment may predispose to bruising.
Differential diagnoses
Actinic purpura produces recurrent bruises on thin skin, often on the forearms.
Pitfalls and limitations
Colour is not a reliable clock; a photograph cannot quantify deep bleeding.
Take-home message
Distinguish an isolated bruise from a bleeding syndrome; fragile skin does not explain every bleed.
Media source & rights
- Author
- James Heilman, MD
- Original source
- James Heilman, MD — Echymosis.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEchymosis.jpg
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Changes
- Orientation EXIF normalisée ; conversion WebP et redimensionnement proportionnel plafonné à 1600/400px ; aucun recadrage, aucune retouche médicale ; EXIF supprimé. Dérivé écran proportionnel ≤1280 px, WebP qualité76 ; vignette ≤320 px qualité72. Source acquise et dérivé initial conservés sans modification ; aucune retouche médicale, aucun recadrage.
- Dimensions
- 985 × 1280 px
- Check
- 2026-10-11