White House officials have revealed the reason behind the alarming black-and-blue bruising spotted on the back of President Donald Trump's hand.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly informed CBS News correspondent Sara Cook that the president had "hit his hand in the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise." A second White House source confirmed that Trump had not consumed any aspirin before his Board of Peace appearance at the World Economic Forum.

The severe bruising appeared on the president's left hand, which is typically normal in colour, unlike his right hand, which had been treated with makeup to conceal the discolouration. Images of the affected left hand emerged on Thursday and immediately spread across social media.

"Trump's left hand, not the one that is usually disfigured, has a large bruise and is discolored," independent journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X, posting high-definition photographs of the troubling marks. The bruising has sparked fresh concerns about the president's health.

The White House has insisted that the marks were merely the consequence of the president greeting other world leaders and members of the public. Nevertheless, some medical professionals have raised questions once more about Trump's aspirin usage.

Trump has frequently claimed that he takes the medication to prevent "thick blood pouring through my heart."

However, one doctor remains unconvinced. "Bruising can be just simply a one-off thing when you have some trauma, you bump into something," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences, told CNN.

"Aspirin will make you more prone to bleeding."

In early January, the president revealed to The Wall Street Journal during an interview that he consumes 325 mg of aspirin daily, despite doctors typically recommending just 81 mg. It's also worth highlighting that the president, who is set to become the oldest person in office, has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where leg veins have difficulty returning blood to the heart due to defective valves.

The condition is regarded as commonplace and harmless amongst those aged 70 and above. The president's wellbeing has been extensively covered since he resumed office last year.

In December, Leavitt revealed that the president had received a "preventive" MRI scan to comprehensively evaluate his health. She declared that despite public concerns, Trump's health remained "excellent."

She also restated the cause of the president's bruising. "The president is literally constantly shaking hands," she said.

"The Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal. He is meeting with more people than any of you know about on a daily basis."

Despite Leavitt's confirmation of an MRI, the president revealed during his recent interview with the Journal that he had actually undergone a CT scan, mistakenly telling reporters he had an MRI.

A CT scan is a quicker and more routine method to obtain a clear image of the body.