A stroke caused by a clot traveled from another area of the body.

A stroke caused by a clot traveled from another area of the body.

• A. Embolic stroke
• B. Ischemic stroke
• C. Thrombotic stroke
• D. Hemorrhagic stroke

Answer: (A)

An embolic stroke occurs when a clot forms somewhere else in the body and travels through the bloodstream to the brain, where it lodges in a cerebral artery and abruptly blocks blood flow. This traveling clot mechanism matches the scenario described, since the clot originated elsewhere and moved to the brain. It’s a type of ischemic stroke, because the problem is reduced blood flow due to blockage, not bleeding. By contrast, a thrombotic stroke results from a clot forming directly at the site within a brain artery, typically from atherosclerosis, and a hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding into brain tissue rather than a traveling clot.

An embolic stroke occurs when a clot forms somewhere else in the body and travels through the bloodstream to the brain, where it lodges in a cerebral artery and abruptly blocks blood flow. This traveling clot mechanism matches the scenario described, since the clot originated elsewhere and moved to the brain. It’s a type of ischemic stroke, because the problem is reduced blood flow due to blockage, not bleeding. By contrast, a thrombotic stroke results from a clot forming directly at the site within a brain artery, typically from atherosclerosis, and a hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding into brain tissue rather than a traveling clot.