| Blood blister | |
| Field: | Dermatology |
| Causes: | Accident |
A blood blister is a type of blister that forms when subdermal tissues and blood vessels are damaged without piercing the skin. It consists of a pool of lymph, blood and other body fluids trapped beneath the skin. If punctured, it suppurates a dark fluid. Sometimes the fluids are cut off from the rest of the body and dry up, leaving behind dead cell material inside the blister with a texture like putty. Some blood blisters can be extremely painful due to bruising where the blister occurred.
There are also blood blister-like aneurysms as these are known to be located in the supraclinoid internal carotid artery and have been recognized as having unique pathological and clinical features.[1]
Blood blisters are commonly caused by accidents in which the skin is pinched by a tool, mechanism, or heavy weight without protective equipment. Blood blisters can also arise from forcible human contact, including grappling.
Blood blisters also may occur with friction caused by constant rubbing of skin against a surface. Ill-fitting shoes that rub on the skin can cause the blood vessels in the skin to break and form a blood clot under the skin, resulting in a blood blister. Certain sports activities that require repeated movement and rubbing of the skin against equipment may also cause this; baseball pitchers, rowers, and drummers often contract blood blisters on the fingers and palms. They also form as a result of frostbite.
Blood blisters can also occur in the mouth for a variety of reasons including side effects to certain medications, nutritional deficiencies, and mouth injuries.[2] [3]
There are several methods of healing blood blisters, including elevation of the wound combined with application of a cold pack, and application of padded dressings or splints.[4]