- Infarct
- An area of tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen. For example, in a myocardial infarction there is death of myocardial (heart muscle) tissue due to sudden (acute) deprivation of circulating blood. This is usually caused by arteriosclerosis with narrowing of the coronary arteries, the culminating event being a thrombosis (clot). The word "infarct" comes from the Latin "infarcire" meaning "to plug up or cram." It refers to the clogging of the artery. See also infarction.
* * *An area of necrosis resulting from a sudden insufficiency of arterial or venous blood supply. SYN: infarction (2). [L. in-farcio, pp. -fartus (-ctus, an incorrect form), to stuff into]- anemic i. an i. in which little or no bleeding into tissue spaces occurs when the blood supply is obstructed. SYN: pale i., white i. (1).- bland i. an uninfected i..- bone i. an area of bone tissue that has become necrotic as a result of loss of its arterial blood supply.- Brewer infarcts dark-red, wedge-shaped areas resembling infarcts, seen on section of a kidney in pyelonephritis.- hemorrhagic i. an i. red in color from infiltration of blood from collateral vessels into the necrotic area. SYN: hemorrhagic gangrene (1), red i..- pale i. SYN: anemic i..- red i. SYN: hemorrhagic i..- Roesler-Dressler i. myocardial infarction in dumbbell form involving the anterior and posterior left ventricle and the left side of the ventricular septum.- septic i. an area of necrosis resulting from vascular obstruction by emboli composed of clumps of bacteria or infected material.- thrombotic i. an i. caused by a thrombus.- uric acid i. precipitates of uric acid distending renal collecting tubules in the newborn; since there is no necrosis, the term i. is a misnomer.- white i. 1. SYN: anemic i.. 2. in the placenta, intervillous fibrin with ischemic necrosis of villi.- Zahn i. a pseudoinfarct of the liver, consisting of an area of congestion with parenchymal atrophy but no necrosis; due to obstruction of a branch of the portal vein.
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in·farct 'in-.färkt, in-' n an area of necrosis in a tissue or organ resulting from obstruction of the local circulation by a thrombus or embolus* * *
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in·farct (inґfahrkt) [L. infarctus] an area of coagulation necrosis in a tissue due to local ischemia resulting from obstruction of circulation to the area, most commonly by a thrombus or embolus. Called also infarction.
Medical dictionary. 2011.