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: august 6, 2023
author: healthwise staff
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