noun
- A blood clot, air bubble, or other material that travels through the bloodstream and can lodge in a blood vessel, blocking blood flow.
Usage: Medical term; commonly used in clinical and anatomical contexts.
Examples
- The patient suffered a stroke caused by an embolus that blocked a cerebral artery.
- Doctors used imaging to locate the embolus in the patient's leg.
- An embolus can originate from the heart and travel to distant blood vessels.
- The surgeon removed the embolus to restore blood flow to the affected tissue.
- Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of embolus formation in the heart.