Symptoms | Bruise on the thigh

Symptoms

Blood leakage into the tissue leads to a shapeless discoloration of the affected area, which occurs in characteristic steps. First, fresh blood leaks into the fatty or muscle tissue and the spot appears reddish. As soon as this blood begins to clot, the stain turns purple to bluish.

As the red blood pigment (haemoglobin) is broken down by several enzymes, the bruise then turns brown/black, then green and finally yellowish. In addition, considerable swelling and pain can occur due to the leaked blood. Depending on the extent of the bruise, it usually disappears after about two to three weeks without leaving any consequences.

Muscular hardening

Due to a corresponding trauma, blood vessels in various tissues often tear. Many blood vessels also run in the muscle boxes containing the thigh muscles, which supply the muscles. Here, too, blood may leak and a bruise may form.

The space that the coagulated blood occupies in the box causes swelling and a palpable hardening below the fatty tissue. If this swelling is moderately pronounced and the pain is mild, no further measures apart from cooling are necessary. If, however, the pressure within the affected musculature rises sharply due to the leaked blood, the blood and nutrients supply to the muscle may be reduced by compression of the supplying vessels. In this case, however, the patient feels severe pain, up to paralysis of the leg or numbness in the corresponding region. In this case there is a need for surgical intervention as soon as possible.

Diagnosis

A bruise on the thigh is a gaze diagnosis for every doctor and most people affected. This means that the diagnosis can be made with just one look, as the finding is typical. Often the diagnosis is supported by the patient’s story (anamnesis) about a trauma or injury.

If the doctor wants to determine the exact extent of the bruising under the skin, he can use an ultrasound machine to do so. Further diagnosis is usually not necessary. If bruising repeatedly occurs in a patient without the patient remembering any injuries, a blood sample can be taken to rule out or diagnose a coagulation disorder.

The same applies to poorly adjusted Marcumar patients. If the Marcumar dosage is too high, bleeding will occur spontaneously. In this case, the Quick or INR value should be checked quickly, as more dangerous bleeding can also occur, for example in the skull.

It is best to treat a bruise on the thigh immediately after the trauma occurs, even before the bruise is fully developed. At this time, the thigh can be cooled with ice. The cold causes the injured blood vessels to contract and less blood escapes into the tissue.

The ice also relieves the pain. Heparin ointment dissolves clots in the bruise and can thus ensure that the bruise disappears more quickly. Arnica ointment relieves pain and reduces swelling.

For smaller hematomas, this treatment at home is completely sufficient. For deeper and more extensive haematomas it may be advisable to consult a doctor. In some cases the blood must be drained from the tissue to the outside via a drainage (a kind of tube). In even rarer cases the bruise must be removed surgically (surgical removal of the haematoma).