What department should I go to for a cerebral embolism?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on December 22, 2024
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Brain embolism is a disease in the field of neurology, and one can consult a department of neurology for it. Patients with brain embolism often have a rapid onset, generally with a history of atrial fibrillation. Some thrombi attached to the heart dislodge into the cerebral arteries, causing brain embolism. Symptoms can rapidly develop, including limb paralysis and speech disorders. If the affected area in the brain is large, it may even lead to consciousness disorders and epileptic seizures. For the treatment of brain embolism, interventional thrombectomy can be performed, but there is a strict limitation on the timing window. It should be noted that patients with brain embolism have a high probability of transforming into cerebral hemorrhage, and caution must be exercised during treatment.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What is a brain embolism?

Cerebral embolism refers to various abnormal emboli that enter the intracranial arteries with blood circulation, causing acute occlusion of the cerebral arteries and leading to ischemic hypoxic necrosis of the brain tissue in the supplied area. The onset is usually very sudden and dangerous, with patients rapidly developing limb paralysis, speech dysfunction, facial paralysis, and in some cases, coma, seizures, and other clinical manifestations. The most common source of embolism is the heart, such as atrial fibrillation or myocardial infarction forming mural thrombi that dislodge and enter the brain causing an embolism. Additionally, there are non-cardiac sources of embolism, such as the detachment of atherosclerotic plaques causing an embolism, as well as air embolisms and cancer cell embolisms. Cerebral embolism is an emergency and severe condition that requires prompt medical attention.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
50sec home-news-image

What department should I go to for a cerebral embolism?

Brain embolism is a disease in the field of neurology, and one can consult a department of neurology for it. Patients with brain embolism often have a rapid onset, generally with a history of atrial fibrillation. Some thrombi attached to the heart dislodge into the cerebral arteries, causing brain embolism. Symptoms can rapidly develop, including limb paralysis and speech disorders. If the affected area in the brain is large, it may even lead to consciousness disorders and epileptic seizures. For the treatment of brain embolism, interventional thrombectomy can be performed, but there is a strict limitation on the timing window. It should be noted that patients with brain embolism have a high probability of transforming into cerebral hemorrhage, and caution must be exercised during treatment.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Can cerebral embolism be treated with thrombolysis?

For patients with cerebral embolism, if the onset is not particularly severe and the area of the embolism is not very large, for example, if the patient's consciousness is still clear, then thrombolysis can still be feasible. It is now also relatively advocated because the risk of cerebral hemorrhage is relatively small in such cases. However, if the area of the cerebral embolism is large, especially if the patient has fallen into a coma or other consciousness disorders, and shows conjugate gaze palsy, then the risk of thrombolysis is very high, and there is a very likely risk of conversion to cerebral hemorrhage. In such cases, thrombolysis is not recommended, and arterial thrombectomy can be performed instead, which can greatly save the patient's life and improve the quality of life. Besides thrombolysis and thrombectomy, anticoagulant therapy should also be administered after the condition stabilizes, as most cases of cerebral embolism are caused by atrial fibrillation, and anticoagulant therapy can prevent future attacks.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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Can people with cerebral embolism run?

Patients with cerebral embolism can jog moderately, but walking is highly recommended. This is because the common source of the embolus in cerebral embolism patients is a mural thrombus in the heart. The common causes of mural thrombus formation include arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation. Therefore, patients with cerebral embolism, who may also have coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, or cardiac mural thrombus, are not well-suited for running, which is a relatively intense form of exercise. They can jog moderately, but the distance and duration should not be too long. The most recommended form of exercise is walking. Walking is the best form of exercise to prevent worsening the condition after running, and it could also exacerbate coronary artery disease conditions.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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Initial symptoms of cerebral embolism

The initial characteristics of cerebral embolism generally include a sudden onset and rapid progression of the condition. It often occurs during physical activity, with the condition reaching a peak in a very short time. Typically, within a short period, this can lead to complete paralysis of limbs on one side, complete loss of speech in some cases, and severe cases may quickly progress into a coma. The development of the condition is quite rapid. Common sources of emboli in cerebral embolism include mural thrombi from the heart and detached plaques from the carotid artery. Carotid artery plaques, especially soft plaques, are prone to detachment, forming emboli that block the cerebral vessels and cause cerebral embolism. Additionally, patients with arrhythmias or atrial fibrillation can easily form mural thrombi on the inner walls of the heart. Once a thrombus detaches, it can block cerebral vessels, leading to cerebral embolism. The affected area in cerebral embolism is relatively large, and the condition is quite severe.