Definition
What is infarction?
Infarction is the process by which an area of tissue dies because the artery that feeds it is blocked, most often by a thrombus or an embolus. The dead area itself is called an infarct. Infarction is the end point of severe or long-lasting ischemia: once cells have gone without oxygen for too long, they undergo necrosis.
The best-known example is myocardial infarction, the medical name for a heart attack, in which a blocked coronary artery, usually at a site of atherosclerotic plaque, cuts off blood to part of the heart muscle. The longer the flow stays blocked, the more muscle dies, so quick treatment to reopen the artery limits the damage. A cerebral infarction is the area of brain tissue killed by an ischemic stroke, and infarcts can also form in the lungs, kidneys, spleen and intestines.
Organs such as the heart and brain can regrow very little of what they lose, so an infarct is gradually replaced by scar tissue. This can leave lasting effects, such as a weaker heart or problems with movement or speech.
Word parts
Where does the word “infarction” come from?
- infarct-
- stuffed in, pluggedLatin infarcire, from in- (into) + farcire (to stuff)
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Terms that go with it
- IschemiaIschemia is a shortage of blood supply to an organ or tissue, usually from a narrowed or blocked artery, that starves its cells of oxygen and nutrients.
- NecrosisNecrosis is the unplanned death of cells or tissue caused by injury, infection, toxins or loss of blood supply, and it usually triggers inflammation.
- StrokeA stroke is a sudden loss of brain function that happens when an artery supplying the brain is blocked or bursts and bleeds.
- ThrombosisThrombosis is the formation of a blood clot, called a thrombus, inside a blood vessel or the heart, where it can narrow or block the flow of blood.
- AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty plaque builds up inside artery walls, stiffening and narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow.
- HeartThe heart is the hollow, muscular organ in the chest whose four chambers pump blood through the lungs and then around the rest of the body.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- NCBI MeSH: Infarction
- NHLBI: Heart Attack
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 19.1 Heart Anatomy
- MedlinePlus: Ischemic Stroke
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