Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Blood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid.
A blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel or within the heart and stays there is called a thrombus. A thrombus that breaks loose and travels from one location in the body to another is called an embolus. The related medical disorder is called an embolism. For example, an embolus that gets stuck in the lungs is called a pulmonary embolism.
Sometimes other materials can act like an embolus and block blood flow, including:
- Air
Amniotic fluid - A piece of
atherosclerotic plaque - Fat clumps
- Small pieces of tumor
See also:
Angina Arterial embolism Atheroembolic renal disease Deep venous thrombosis Heart attack Pulmonary embolism Renal vein thrombosis Stroke Thrombophlebitis
Alternative Names
Clot; Emboli; Thrombi
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program,
Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD,
MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
