Venous thrombus and embolus
A venous thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vein.
An embolus is anything that moves through the blood vessels until it reaches a vessel that is too small to let it pass. When this happens, the blood flow is stopped by the embolus. An embolus is often a small piece of a blood clot that breaks off (thromboembolus). It may also be fat, air, amniotic fluid, a tumour, or a foreign substance such as talc, iodine, cotton, or a tiny piece of catheter tube.
Current as of: December 19, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Jeffrey S. Ginsberg MD - Hematology & Kara L. Cadwallader MD - Family Medicine
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