Infarction

Infarction

In medicine, an infarction is the process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. Supplying arteries may be blocked from within by some obstruction (e.g. a blood clot or fatty cholesterol deposit), or may be mechanically compressed or ruptured by trauma.

Infarction is commonly associated with atherosclerosis, where an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures, a thrombus forms on the surface occluding the blood flow and occasionally forming an embolus that occludes other blood vessels downstream. Infarction can also involve mechanical blockage of the blood supply, such as when part of the gut herniates or twists.

Classification

Infarctions are divided into two types according the amount of hemorrhaging present:
* White infarctions (anemic infarcts) affect solid organs such as the heart, spleen, and kidneys. The occlusion is most often composed of platelets, and the organ becomes white, or pale.
*Red infarctions (hemorrhagic infarcts), generally affecting the lungs. The occlusion consists more of red blood cells and fibrin strands.

Diseases

Diseases commonly associated with infarctions include:
* Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
* Pulmonary embolism ("lung attack")
* Cerebrovascular accident (stroke – 80% are due to infarction)
* Peripheral artery occlusive disease (the most severe form of which is gangrene)
* Antiphospholipid syndrome
* Sepsis
* Giant-cell arteritis (GCA)
* Hernia
* Volvulus


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Infarction — In*farc tion, n. [See {Infarce}.] 1. The act of stuffing or filling; Specifically: (Med.) the formation of an infarct; an overloading and obstruction of any organ or vessel of the body; constipation. [1913 Webster] 2. An infarct[2]; as, a cardiac …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • infarction — index bar (obstruction) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • infarction — 1680s, noun of action from L. infarcire (see INFARCT (Cf. infarct)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • infarction — ► NOUN ▪ the formation of an infarct …   English terms dictionary

  • infarction — [in färk′shən] n. 1. the development of an infarct 2. INFARCT …   English World dictionary

  • Infarction — The formation of an infarct, an area of tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen. For example, in a myocardial infarction there is death of myocardial (heart muscle) tissue due to sudden (acute) deprivation of circulating blood. This is usually …   Medical dictionary

  • infarction — /in fahrk sheuhn/, n. Pathol. 1. the formation of an infarct. 2. an infarct. [1680 90; INFARCT + ION] * * * ▪ pathology       death of tissue resulting from a failure of blood supply, commonly due to obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot… …   Universalium

  • infarction — UK [ɪnˈfɑː(r)kʃ(ə)n] / US [ɪnˈfɑrkʃ(ə)n] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms infarction : singular infarction plural infarctions medical a situation in which blood cannot get to an area of tissue so that the tissue dies …   English dictionary

  • infarction — n. the death of part or the whole of an organ that occurs when the artery carrying its blood supply is obstructed by a blood clot (thrombus) or an embolus. For example, myocardial infarction, affecting the muscle of the heart, follows coronary… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • infarction — noun localized necrosis resulting from obstruction of the blood supply • Syn: ↑infarct • Hypernyms: ↑pathology • Hyponyms: ↑myocardial infarction, ↑myocardial infarct, ↑MI …   Useful english dictionary

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