Raccoon Eyes are bruising around the eyes, indicative of which injury?

Prepare for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Test. Study with interactive quizzes and detailed explanations. Boost your exam readiness with our diverse question formats and in-depth content coverage.

Multiple Choice

Raccoon Eyes are bruising around the eyes, indicative of which injury?

Raccoon eyes come from blood that tracks into the soft tissues around the eyes after a fracture at the base of the skull. This periorbital ecchymosis is a classic sign of a basilar skull fracture, which involves the bones at the skull base near the orbits and nasal region. The injury can tear small vessels and allow blood to accumulate in the orbital tissues, often appearing within hours to days. Because basilar skull fractures can be associated with intracranial injury and other signs like CSF leakage from the nose or ears, this finding should prompt imaging and careful neuro assessment.

Raccoon eyes come from blood that tracks into the soft tissues around the eyes after a fracture at the base of the skull. This periorbital ecchymosis is a classic sign of a basilar skull fracture, which involves the bones at the skull base near the orbits and nasal region. The injury can tear small vessels and allow blood to accumulate in the orbital tissues, often appearing within hours to days. Because basilar skull fractures can be associated with intracranial injury and other signs like CSF leakage from the nose or ears, this finding should prompt imaging and careful neuro assessment.

More practice questions