What may form when blood seeps into the surrounding tissue during a venipuncture?

A hematoma forms when blood seeps into the surrounding tissue during a venipuncture. This occurs when a blood vessel is punctured, and blood leaks out into the surrounding interstitial space, leading to localized swelling and discoloration. The accumulation of blood causes the tissue to appear bruised and swollen.

While thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, hemorrhage indicates active bleeding, which may or may not lead to a hematoma. A seroma, on the other hand, involves the accumulation of serum (the clear fluid that remains after blood clots) in a tissue cavity, which is not typically associated with the procedure of venipuncture. Thus, the correct answer highlights the specific outcome of blood leaking into tissues, indicating that a hematoma is the result of this phenomenon.