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Diseases » Embolism » Glossary

Glossary for Embolism

Abdominal Pain: A condition which is characterized by the sensation of pain that is located in the abdomen
Air embolism: A condition which is characterized by air bubbles entering the circulation usually due to trauma, decompression sickness or surgery.
Artery conditions: Any conditions affecting arteries
Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a syndrome affecting arterial blood vessels. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low density (especially small particle) lipoproteins (plasma proteins that carry cholesterol and triglycerides) without adequate removal of fats and cholesterol from the macrophages by functional high density lipoproteins (HDL). It is commonly referred to as a hardening or furring of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries.
Atrial Fibrillation: Common heart arrythmia with rapid beating in upper chambers
Atrial myxoma, familial: An atrial myxoma benign tumor that develops in the wall that separates the two upper chambers of the heart. The familial form of the condition also involves tumors in other parts of the body such as the skin, both heart atria or the heart ventricles.
Atrioventricular septal defect: A congenital heart defect where the valves and walls between the upper and lower heart chambers (atrial and ventricular septa and the atrioventricular valves) don't develop properly. Symptoms are determined by the severity of the malformation.
Blood vessel conditions: Conditions that affect the blood vessels
Cardiac arrest: Stoppage of the heart, usually caused by heart attack
Cardiac hydatid cysts with intracavitary expansion: A parasitic infection that occurs in the heart. Hydatid cyst is the larval stage of a parasite called echinococcus granulosus. Symptoms will depend on the exact location of the cyst. Usually the liver and lungs are involved.
Cerebrovascular accident: Occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted and results in cell injury and death.
Chest pain: Pain in the chest area.
Cor pulmonale: Enlarged heart due to respiratory difficulty.
Coronaro-cardiac fistula: An abnormal opening between a heart artery and a heart chamber or great vessel. This rare defect is present at birth and often causes no problems or symptoms until adulthood. The severity of the condition is determined by the size and exact location of the defect.
Deep vein thrombosis: Blood clot in vein, often in calf muscle vein in the leg.
Dilated cardiomyopathy: A rare chronic heart muscle condition where one or both heart ventricles are dilated or have impaired contractility.
Endocarditis: Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
Fractures: Fracture of a bone; also "broken bone".
Gangrene: Tissue death
Hemoptysis: A condition which is characterized by the coughing up of blood or blood stained sputum
Mitral regurgitation: A condition which is characterized by a regurgitation of blood from the left ventricle into the atrium due to a problem with the mitral valve
Mitral-valve prolapse: A common heart condition that is often harmless.
Peripheral vascular disease: Disease of arteries supplying the legs or sometimes arms
Polyarteritis nodosa: A serious blood vessel disease where small and medium-sized arteries become swollen and damaged and are unable to adequately supply oxygenated blood to various tissues in the body. The disease can occur in a mild form or a serious, rapidly fatal form.
Pulmonary embolism: Blocked lung blood vessel often from a blood clot.
Pulmonary hypertension: Pulmonary hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood to the lungs. Blood pressure in other parts of the body is normal or sometimes even low. The condition may be caused by such things as lung conditions (e.g. emphysema, chronic bronchitis), heart conditions (e.g. congestive heart failure, birth defects involving heart), AIDS or medications such as fenfluramine (a diet drug). Sometimes it occurs for no apparent reason and is called primary pulmonary hypertension.
Raynaud's phenomenon: Blood vessel constriction attacks affecting fingers and/or toes.
Renal infarction: The death of an area of tissue in the kidney due to a localized lack of oxygen. Usually results from an interruption in the blood supply. The severity of the symptoms depends on how large the affected part of the kidney is. Small infarcts can produce virtually no symptoms. The condition is relatively uncommon and frequently misdiagnosed.
Shock: Severe condition from reduced blood circulation
Thromboembolism: Lodgement of a blood clot causing blockage
Thrombosis: Blood clot occurring in a blood vessel
Venous Thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot in a vein. The clot can form in superficial veins and cause few if any symptoms or it can form in the deeper, larger leg veins which can be life-threatening in serious cases. A part of the clot can break off and travel (embolism) to the heart or lungs where it can cause serious problems.