Letter T

Thrombosis

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The formation or presence of a blood clot in a blood vessel.

The vessel may be any vein or artery as, for example, in a deep vein thrombosis or a coronary (artery) thrombosis.

The clot itself is termed a thrombus.

If the clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream, it is a thromboembolism.

Thrombosis, thrombus, and the prefix thrombo- all come from the Greek thrombos meaning a lump or clump, or a curd or clot of milk.

See entries also to: Cavernous sinus thrombosis; Renal vein thrombosis.

And see: Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

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