Pulmonary hematoma

A pulmonary hematoma is a collection of blood within the tissue of the lung. It may result when a pulmonary laceration fills with blood.^[1] A lung laceration filled with air is called a pneumatocele.^[1] In some cases, both pneumatoceles and hematomas exist in the same injured lung.^[2] Pulmonary hematomas take longer to heal than simple pneumatoceles and commonly leave the lungs scarred.^[1] A pulmonary contusion is another cause of bleeding within the lung tissue, but these result from microhemorrhages, multiple small bleeds, and the bleeding is not a discrete mass but rather occurs within the lung tissue. An indication of more severe damage to the lung than pulmonary contusion, a hematoma also takes longer to clear.^[3] Unlike contusions, hematomas do not usually interfere with gas exchange in the lung, but they do increase the risk of infection and abscess formation.^[4]

References

1. White C, Stern EJ (1999). Chest Radiology Companion. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 80, 176. ISBN 978-0-397-51732-9. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
2. Gavelli G, Canini R, Bertaccini P, Battista G, Bnà C, Fattori R (June 2002). "Traumatic injuries: imaging of thoracic injuries". European Radiology. 12 (6): 1273–1294. doi:10.1007/s00330-002-1439-6. PMID 12042932. S2CID 1919039.
3. Livingston DH, Hauser CJ (2003). "Trauma to the chest wall and lung". In Moore EE, Feliciano DV, Mattox KL (eds.). Trauma. Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 525–528. ISBN 978-0-07-137069-1.
4. Miller DL, Mansour KA (2007). "Blunt traumatic lung injuries". Thoracic Surgery Clinics. 17 (1): 57–61. doi:10.1016/j.thorsurg.2007.03.017. PMID 17650697.