ABSTRACT
This last statement challenges the long-held belief that bruises of different color in the same area must have been inflicted at different times. In 1966, Stephenson and Bialas in Nottingham10 followed and photographed the appearance of accidental bruising in pediatric patients. Their subjects were 23 white children, ages 8 months to 13 years, with a total of 36 bruises. The bruises occurred in pedestrian or cyclist collisions with a motor vehicle or in falls of less than 2 m. They observed bruises of the arms, legs, face, and trunk from 1.5 hours to 14 days. The conclusions of this study were:
• Yellow was seen in bruises at least 24 hours old. • Green was seen in bruises at least 48 hours old. • Red was seen from the time of injury until day 7. • Purple, blue, and brown were seen from the day
of injury until day 14 (the duration of observation).
