What is the difference between cerebral infarction and cerebral thrombosis?

Some friends have some misunderstandings about cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, because these two diseases are relatively common in life and are also cardiovascular diseases. In fact, cerebral thrombosis can also lead to cerebral infarction. Please see below for a more detailed explanation.

The difference between cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism Cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism are both ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. Clinically it is collectively referred to as cerebral infarction. The symptoms of the two are similar and are often confused, but the causes of the two are different and should not be confused.

(1) Cerebral thrombosis often occurs after middle age , with a slow onset and often reaching its peak within tens of hours or days. There are usually precursor symptoms before the onset of the disease. Cerebral embolism is more common in young and middle-aged people under 40 years old. The onset is acute, and all symptoms appear within a few seconds to 2 to 3 minutes, and there are usually no prodromal symptoms.

(2) Cerebral thrombosis is caused by the stenosis or occlusion of the cerebral blood vessels themselves , which leads to ischemia, softening, and necrosis of brain tissue, resulting in a series of central nervous system symptoms such as hemiplegia, aphasia, and sensory disorders. Cerebral embolism is caused by blockage of cerebral blood vessels by solid, gas, liquid or other emboli brought in by the blood flow. The disease occurs inside the brain, but the root cause is outside the brain.

(3) Cerebral thrombosis often occurs when the patient is in a quiet or sleeping state , and after waking up, the patient finds that he or she cannot move freely or is aphasic. There is often a history of strenuous exercise and emotional excitement before cerebral embolism occurs, and the onset is sudden.

(4) Patients with cerebral thrombosis often have a history of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, transient ischemic attack, diabetes, etc. The medical history of cerebral embolism varies, but it is mainly seen in heart disease, postoperative period, trauma, etc.

(5) The main symptoms of cerebral thrombosis are hemiplegia and speech impairment , often without consciousness disorders or headaches, vomiting, etc. Clinical manifestations after cerebral embolism include headache, vomiting, impaired consciousness, aphasia, hemiplegia, etc.

A reliable diagnostic method for ischemic cerebrovascular disease is cerebral angiography, which can show the areas of vascular stenosis or occlusion. However, cerebral angiography has the risk of worsening the condition, so it must be performed with caution and not blindly.