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What Causes Bruises On Forearm, Wrist And Elbow?

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Posted on Wed, 29 Jul 2015
Question: hi, i have an area of what appear to be bruises on my forearm. scattered, small, irregular shapes, starting from the wrist, moving to the elbow, right arm. now starting to appear on my left forearm. very minor pain, no itch, multiplying
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
they are petechiae

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

these little marks are called petechiae. They represent blood extravasation under the skin. There are a lot of potential causes. I'll mention some:
- injury (scratching the skin because of itching could be enough)
- low platelet count (a complete blood count should suffice to confirm or exclude it)
- vasculitis
- drugs (aspirin, antiepileptic drugs, corticosteroids etc)
- various infections (endocarditis, various viral infections, etc)

etc

I usually suggest starting with a complete blood count, INR, aPTT, urea, creatinine and bleeding time test. These are the essential initial tests to identify clotting problems. Depending on the results, more tests might be needed.

I hope you find my comments helpful!
If you'd like any clarification, further information or you'd like to continue this discussion by providing more data, you can contact me again, using your follow-up questions.

Kind Regards!
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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What Causes Bruises On Forearm, Wrist And Elbow?

Brief Answer: they are petechiae Detailed Answer: Hello, these little marks are called petechiae. They represent blood extravasation under the skin. There are a lot of potential causes. I'll mention some: - injury (scratching the skin because of itching could be enough) - low platelet count (a complete blood count should suffice to confirm or exclude it) - vasculitis - drugs (aspirin, antiepileptic drugs, corticosteroids etc) - various infections (endocarditis, various viral infections, etc) etc I usually suggest starting with a complete blood count, INR, aPTT, urea, creatinine and bleeding time test. These are the essential initial tests to identify clotting problems. Depending on the results, more tests might be needed. I hope you find my comments helpful! If you'd like any clarification, further information or you'd like to continue this discussion by providing more data, you can contact me again, using your follow-up questions. Kind Regards!