Literal meaning of embolus is a plug or a
foreign body . An embolus is insoluble in the blood vessels and embolism is
impact of an embolus carried by the blood stream form its point of origin to
different parts where it sets impacted resulting vascular obstruction .
Type of emboli …..
1.
Solid embolus –
a)
Detached thrombus – Detachment
of an aseptic thrombus .
b)
Solid foreign body - Fragment of bony specules , lead salts etc .
2.
Liquid embolus –
a)
Oily embolus – like liquid
paraffin or oily injection .
b)
Fat droplets or fat containing
cells ( fat embolism ) - Embolism is
caused by fat , after the fracture of a long bone or trauma to a fatty tissue .
c)
Amniotic fluid - After delivery , droplets of amniotic fluid
will sucked in the uterine venous sinus . Thhese droplets become covered up
which fibrin shell and develop emboli .
3.
gas embolus –
a)
Air embolus - like embolism will be caused by the injury of
veins of neck , artificial pneumothorax , tubal insufflation , careless
intravenous , injection of air bubbles .
b)
Nitrogen gas embolus – like
caison’s disease or diver’s sickness .
4.
Cellular embolus – like
malignant cell embolus / red cell embolus in polycythaemia and white cell
embolus in leukaemia .
5.
Tissue embolus – Embolism
caused by friable placental tissue .
6.
parasitic embolus – like
malarial parasite , larvae of hookworm and ascaris lumbricoides eggs of
schistosoma ,
Effect of embolism ……
The effect of embolism depends on the type of embolus and the
arrangement of circulation of the affected organ .
Type of embolus …….
- Effect due to septic embolus -
If the embolus is septic , it will produce multiple pyaemic
abscesses and may cause dilation of vessels causing myotic aneurysm .
- Effect due to tumour cell emboli - Tumour cell emboli will form a
metastatic tumour in different parts of the body .
- Effect due to aseptic emboli -
The aseptic emboli will cause ischaemia leading to infarction or
gangrene .
