Editing Embolism (section)

=== Arterial ===
{{Main|Arterial embolism}}
[[Arterial embolism]] can cause occlusion in any part of the body. It is a major cause of [[infarction]] (tissue death from blockage of the blood supply).<ref>[http://www.mdguidelines.com/arterial-embolism-and-thrombosis MDGuidelines > Arterial Embolism And Thrombosis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202063012/http://www.mdguidelines.com/arterial-embolism-and-thrombosis |date=2018-02-02 }} From ''The Medical Disability Advisor'' by Presley Reed, MD. Retrieved on April 30, 2010</ref>

An embolus lodging in the brain from either the [[heart]] or a [[carotid artery]] will most likely be the cause of a [[stroke]] due to [[ischemia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Stroke Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention |url=https://www.aans.org/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=American Association of Neurological Surgeons |language=en}}</ref>

An arterial embolus might originate in the heart (from a thrombus in the [[left atrium]], following [[atrial fibrillation]] or be a septic embolus resulting from [[endocarditis]]). Emboli of [[heart|cardiac origin]] are frequently encountered in clinical practice.  Thrombus formation within the atrium occurs mainly in patients with [[mitral valve]] disease, and especially in those with [[mitral valve]] [[stenosis]] (narrowing), with [[atrial fibrillation]] (AF).  In the absence of AF, pure mitral regurgitation has a low incidence of [[thromboembolism]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

The risk of emboli forming in AF depends on other risk factors such as age, [[hypertension]], [[diabetes]], recent heart failure, or previous stroke.
Thrombus formation can also take place within the [[Ventricle (heart)|ventricles]], and it occurs in approximately 30% of anterior-wall [[myocardial infarction]]s, compared with only 5% of inferior ones. Some other risk factors are poor ejection fraction (<35%), size of infarct, and the presence of AF. In the first three months after infarction, left-ventricle [[aneurysm]]s have a 10% risk of emboli forming. Patients with [[prosthetic]] valves also carry a significant increase in risk of thromboembolism. Risk varies, based on the valve type (bioprosthetic or mechanical); the position (mitral or aortic); and the presence of other factors such as AF, left-ventricular dysfunction, and previous emboli{{cn|date=October 2021}}.

Emboli often have more serious consequences when they occur in the so-called "end circulation": areas of the body that have no redundant blood supply, such as the brain and [[heart]].{{cn|date=October 2021}}