Alifah Syarafina D5-HIS Petechiae are tiny, flat, red or purple spots in the skin..

Individually, these spots are one to two mm in size. These rashes usually arise on the surface of the legs. In the later stages however, they may be found in many other areas of the body such as shoulder, back, thigh and ankles. Purpura is a reddish or purplish discoloration of the skin produced by small bleeding vessels near the surface. Purpura may also occur in the mucous membranes, especially of the mouth, and in the internal organs. Purpura is not a disease, but is indicative of an underlying cause of bleeding. When purpura spots are very small, they are called petechiae. Large purpura are 1 cm. Ecchymosis is a clinical manifestation characterized by reddish to bluish sometimes purple discoloration of the skin which results from the rupture of small blood vessel beneath the integument and accumulation of blood in the surrounding tissues. It is commonly referred to as bruises or contusion. A hematoma is defined as a collection of blood or a clot that has accumulated outside of a blood vessel. The blood has leaked from a ruptured artery, vein, or capillary and then seeps into the surrounding tissue. Hematomas can occur almost anywhere on the body; they are almost always present with a fracture and are especially serious when they occur inside the skull, where they may produce local pressure on the brain Some of the main causes are : Trauma Petechia spots arise more frequently due to trauma on the skin than any other reason. Pressure Applying excessive pressure on a body tissue may also give rise to these spots. Tightly wrapping compression bandage around a part of the body can also cause these blotches. Hemorrhage When the capillary vessels of the skin suffer an injury, it may lead to hemorrhage. Red blood may leak from the capillaries but get accumulated under the skin due to the absence of any cut or opening under the surface. Allergy Certain medications produce allergenic reactions in the body and give rise to Petechiae spots. Fever People suffering from fever are often seen to develop these splotches. This usually occurs when Meningococcus bacterium is present in the bloodstream. Thrombocytopenia This disease arises due to low platelet count in the body. It generally occurs as a side effect of medicine intake or when the person suffers from an infection. The function of platelets gets impaired and this results in Petechiae. Leukemia Life-threatening disorders such as bone marrow cancers and Leukemia can result in low platelet count and become one of the major Petechiae causes. Medicines - This skin condition may also arise as a side effect of drugs like Heparin, Aspirin, Warfarin and Cortisone. It can also occur as an adverse effect of Chemotherapy and Radiation. called ecchymoses. Purpura measure 0.31 cm (310 mm), whereas petechiae measure less than 3 mm, and ecchymoses greater than

Alifah Syarafina D5-HIS Blood Vessel Structure The arteries and veins have three layers, but the middle layer is thicker in the arteries than it is in the veins:

Tunica

intima (the

thinnest

layer):

single

layer

of

simple

squamous endothelial

cells glued

by

a polysaccharide intercellular matrix, surrounded by a thin layer of subendothelial connective tissue interlaced with a number of circularly arranged elastic bands called the internal elastic lamina.

Tunica media (the thickest layer in arteries): circularly arranged elastic fiber, connective tissue, polysaccharide substances, the second and third layer are separated by another thick elastic band called external elastic lamina. The tunica media may (especially in arteries) be rich in vascular smooth muscle, which controls the caliber of the vessel.

Tunica adventitia: (the thickest layer in veins) this layer is connective tissue with varying amounts of elastic and collagenous fibers. It also contains nerves that supply the vessel as well as nutrient capillaries (vasa vasorum) in the larger blood vessels.

Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels with thin walls consisting of only a tunica intima; Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Systemic arteries transport oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body tissues Arterioles are tiny branches of arteries that lead to capillaries.It transport blood from arteries to capillaries Veins carry blood toward the heart. This blood has a reduced oxygen content because the oxygen has been used for metabolic activities in the tissue cells. Venules are minute vessels that drain blood from capillaries and into veins. Many venules unite to form a vein. Drains blood from capillaries into veins, for return to the heart. Capillaries, the smallest and most numerous of the blood vessels, form the connection between the arteries and the veins. It permits diffusion of oxygen and nutrients from blood to tisue , and diffusion of waste products of metabolism (such as CO2) from the tissue into the blood Although all the layers are present, there is less smooth muscle and connective tissue. This makes the walls of veins thinner than those of arteries, which is related to the fact that blood in the veins has less pressure than in the arteries. Because the walls of the veins are thinner and less rigid than arteries, veins can hold more blood. Almost 70 percent of the total blood volume is in the veins at any given time