Ecchymosis: Are large areas of skin discoloration due

Ecchymosis are large areas of skin discoloration due to bleeding into the skin. They can be caused by various factors that affect platelets, clotting factors, or blood vessels. Learn how to distinguish ecchymosis from petechiae and purpura, and when to see a doctor. Ecchymosis is a flat, discolored patch of skin that occurs when there is bleeding underneath; it is mostly caused due to an underlying disease condition. Petechiae, purpura, and ecchymosis are all terms used to describe different types of bleeding into the skin. These symptoms occur when tiny blood vessels (capillaries) burst or have a small tear and allow red blood cells to leak out into the surrounding tissue. Ecchymosis is derived from the Greek word ekkhumōsis which means “escape of blood.” In the case of ecchymosis , the blood “escapes” from the damaged blood vessels and seeps into the surrounding tissue, causing the characteristic blue-purple discoloration.