| Blood clots (fibrin clots) are the clumps that result from coagulation of the blood. A blood clot that forms in a vessel or within the heart and remains there is called a thrombus. A thrombus that travels from the vessel or heart chamber where it formed to another location in the body is called an embolus, and the disorder, an embolism. For example, an embolus that occurs in the lungs is called a pulmonary embolism.
Sometimes, a piece of atherosclerotic plaque, small pieces of origin to a new location.
The point of origin for the embolus can be the heart or a large blood vessel.
An embolus is a clot (or a piece of plaque that acts in the same manner as a clot) that travels from the site where it formed to another location in the body. The embolism can lodge in an artery at the new location and block the flow of blood there.
The blockage deprives the tissues in that location of its normal blood flow and oxygen (lack of blood and oxygen is called "ischemia"). This can result in damage or even death of the tissues (necrosis) in that organ.
Arterial embolism may be caused by a single embolus or multiple emboli.
Arterial emboli can affect the extremities -- especially the legs and feet. Some may involve the brain, causing a stroke, or the heart, causing a heart attack. Less common sites include the kidneys, gut (intestines), and the eyes.
Pulmonary embolism
An embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by fat, air, tumor tissue, or blood clot
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