What is the difference between cerebral thrombosis and cerebral infarction?

Cerebral thrombosis and cerebral infarction are two relatively similar diseases, and many people do not know the difference between them. In medical terms, cerebral thrombosis is a common type of cerebral infarction, and there are essential differences between the two in terms of pathogenesis and symptoms.

1. Pathogenesis

Cerebral thrombosis is a disease caused by local thrombosis and blockage of blood vessels in the cerebral blood vessels due to atherosclerosis, endarteritis and high blood viscosity.

Cerebral infarction is a disease caused by emboli from other parts of blood vessels, such as mural thrombi caused by heart disease, thrombi in the aorta, carotid arteries, etc., which appear as detached atherosclerotic plaques, detached pelvic and lower limb venous thrombi, and fat emboli caused by fractures, which travel to the brain and cause vascular embolism. It often occurs in patients with heart disease.

2. Clinical symptoms

Cerebral thrombosis: Cerebral thrombosis has a slow onset and often occurs during sleep or rest. For some patients, symptoms are mild at first, then gradually worsen, and sometimes even reach a peak 2 to 3 days after the onset of the disease. It is rare for patients to fall into a coma, and the symptoms are generally mild. They may have hemiplegia or unilateral limb paralysis, and may also have aphasia. Some patients have symptoms such as numbness of the head or limbs.

Cerebral infarction: The disease has an acute onset and often causes aphasia and hemiplegia sensory disorders mainly in the right upper limb, but coma rarely occurs.

3. Causes

(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 infarction is more common in young adults under 40 years old, with an acute onset, with all symptoms appearing within a few seconds to 2-3 minutes, and often without prodromal symptoms.

(2) Cerebral thrombosis is caused by the stenosis or occlusion of 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 the blockage of cerebral blood vessels by solid, gas, liquid and other emboli brought 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 at rest or asleep, and upon 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. History of disease

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

5. Symptoms

The main symptoms of cerebral thrombosis are hemiplegia and speech impairment, often without consciousness disorders or headaches, vomiting, etc.

After cerebral infarction occurs, clinical manifestations such as headache, vomiting, impaired consciousness, aphasia, and hemiplegia are common.