Periorbital hematoma,
commonly called a black eye or shiner (associated with stick sports such as boxing or hockey),
usually results from a blow to the face rather than the eye itself.
This name refers to the dark bruise that is the result of blood and fluid accumulating in loose areolar tissue after a blow to the head
This blood tracks freely down the skull and produces a general swelling over the dome of the skull,
but due to the bony attachments of the occipitofrontalis muscle it cannot drain to the occipital or temple regions.
However, this fluid can move forward into the eyelid because the occipitofrontalis muscle has no bony attachments anteriorly.
This leads to the formation of a hematoma a few hours after a head injury or skull operation.
If the injury is more extensive, potentially even leading to a skull fracture,
an apparent black eye can sometimes get worse and require professional medical treatment before it heals.