What are the differences between thrombosis and emboli formation?

Often Connected: A thrombus is a solid mass of platelets and/or fibrin (and other components of blood) that forms locally in a vessel.An embolus is most often a piece of a thrombus that has broken free and is carried toward the brain by the bloodstream. An embolus does its damage by getting stuck in a large artery or branch and blocking blood flow beyond that point.

DVT vs PE: Thrombosis refers to the development of clot in an artery or vein while an embolus refers to the actual movement of that clot elsewhere. A typical example is a dvt, or deep vein thrombosis, of the leg where a clot has formed in the leg vein. A real concern with deep vein thrombosis is the potential for that blood clot to pass to the lung where it is then called a pulmonary embolus (pe).

Great question!: Thrombosis is the formation of clot. It is safe to say all clots start out as a thrombus, and if they stay put they are forever a thrombus. But if a clot were to break off and travel somewhere else that it normally has no business visiting - like the lungs, kidneys, brain, arms, or legs it is now an embolus! doctors are obliged to figure out where emboli originated as this can affect treatment!