An embolic stroke refers to an
arterial embolism (a blockage of an artery) by an
embolus, a traveling particle or debris in the arterial bloodstream originating from elsewhere. An embolus is most frequently a thrombus, but it can also be a number of other substances including
fat (e.g., from
bone marrow in a
broken bone), air,
cancer cells or clumps of
bacteria (usually from infectious
endocarditis).