Blood clots
Alternative names:
clot; emboli; thrombi
Definition:
Blood clots (fibrin clots) are the clumps that results when blood coagulates. A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains there. An embolism is a clot that travels from the site where it formed to another location in the body. Sometimes, a piece of atherosclerotic plaque (see atherosclerosis), small pieces of tumor, fat globules, air, or other materials can act in the same manner as a blood clot. Thrombi or emboli can lodge in a blood vessel and block the flow of blood in that location. This blockage deprives the tissues in that location of normal blood flow and oxygen (ischemia). This can result in damage, destruction, or even death of the tissues (necrosis), in that area.
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