What is paradoxical embolism?
Blood is transmitted to the heart of the vein. Lung arteries then pass through the blood across the right side of the heart and into the lungs before they flow through the left side of the heart. The arteries are then used to drain the blood away into the body. Paradoxical embolism occurs when the blood clot breaks in vein, usually from the legs, arms and pelvis, and instead of moving on the right side of the heart and to the lungs, it passes through a small defect in the upper chamber septum and directly to the left side of the heart. A clot or embolus is now able to travel directly to the brain without placing it in the lungs.
As soon as the blood clot flows in the arterial circulation, it can achieve the brain and create blockage in one of the vessels. This creates a circumstance of stroke or embolism. If the clot should be stored in the lungs, it should have lung embolism. The hole that the clot travels to create paradoxical embolism is called a hall of the atrial septum or patent foramen ovale. Surgeons usually recommend repairing even the smallest defect.
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim, a German pathologist, created the term "paradoxical embolism" in 1877. In general, paradoxical embolisms are difficult to diagnose and have been found in up to 35 percent of the healthy population during autopsy. Embolies can come in several forms such as solids, liquids and gas. They may include fat, tumors and even amniotic fluid. Although it is extremely rare, paradoxical embolism can be caused by foreign bodies, such as a shot or the remnants of a shot.
paradoxical embolism very often occurs in young patients who have experienced cerebral ischemia. This is a condition where there is not enough blood flow to the brain and can lead to brain hypoxia and stroke. Treatment of paradoxical embolism includes medical and surgical possibilities. Anticoagulant therapy is used as a first step to stop the progression of the clot. Echocardiography is used before surgery jaKO tool to find any potential embolism.
These events are rare and represent only two percent of arterial embolism. However, if there is a paradoxical embolism, it tends to be very dangerous, with an early mortality of up to 21 percent.