However, they have differences as well.
An embolus travels through the bloodstream where it can cause a blockage.
A thrombus is a blood clot in the vessel.
Callista Images/Getty Images
This article will go over what an embolus and thrombus, and which conditions cause them.
An embolus can get stuck in a blood vessel and block it, which causes organ damage.
When organ damage is brought on by an embolus, doctors will often say that anembolic eventhas occurred.
Sometimes, there can be more than one embolus.
The plural of embolus isemboli.
Athrombusis a blood clot that forms within a blood vessel.
If a thrombus breaks free and travels through the bloodstream, it has become anembolus.
Providers may refer to a thrombus that has become an embolus as athromboembolismor simply anembolism.
Why Is an Embolus Dangerous?
Once lodged, it can obstruct further blood flow through that vessel.
It is a common cause of stroke.
However, an embolism can be treated.
Here are a few examples of embolic diseases.
Summary
An embolus is a particle or mass that flows through the bloodstream.
A thrombus is a blood clot in a blood vessel.
If a thrombus breaks off, it can become an embolus.
An embolus can produce tissue damage or death in almost any organ in the body.
It is also called a thromboembolism.
How long a blood clot lasts depends on many factors.
An embolism can be treated with medications that thin the blood.
There are also some procedures that can be done to attempt to break up the clot.
2000;342:476. doi:10.1056/NEJM200002173420706
Kronzon I, Saric M.Cholesterol embolization syndrome.Circulation.
2010;122:631. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.886465
Clark SL.Amniotic fluid embolism.Obstet Gynecol.
2001;38:613. doi:10.1016/s0735-1097(01)01427-9
National Library of Medicine.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Deep vein thrombosis.
