What is the medical term for bruising around both eyes often seen with cranial injuries?

• A. Unilateral Periorbital Ecchymosis
• B. Bilateral Periorbital Ecchymosis
• C. Orbital Hemorrhage
• D. Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

Answer: (B)

Bilateral periorbital ecchymosis is the term for bruising around both eyes. “Periorbital” means around the eye sockets, and “ecchymosis” is bruising from blood that has leaked into the tissues. The bilateral qualifier indicates both eyes are involved, which helps distinguish it from bruising that would affect only one eye. This is different from orbital hemorrhage, which is actual bleeding into the socket and can cause eye movement problems or vision changes, and from subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is a red patch on the white of the eye due to blood under the conjunctiva and does not involve surrounding tissue bruising. In head trauma, bilateral periorbital ecchymosis is sometimes associated with basilar skull fractures and is also informally called “raccoon eyes.”