Chapter 11 – THROMBOSIS

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of thrombosis. Thrombosis may either complicate or precede inflammation. Thrombosis is prone to occur in inflammatory processes, particularly those in which necrosis is prominent. Conversely, inflammation is prominent in processes resulting from thrombosis. Classic among these is the zone of inflammatory infiltrate about an ischemic infarct. Thrombosis may also complicate any of several abnormalities in blood vessel walls. It is generally accepted that these include entities with vascular wall deformity such as atherosclerosis or aneurysm. Thrombus formation and evolution and the process usually termed clotting or coagulation require participation of the cellular and non-cellular components of the mechanism. Once any component of the thrombus-forming or clotting mechanism is activated, thrombosis occurs. Activation of either platelets or plasma clotting factors may thus stimulate thrombus formation. Adenosine diphosphate is widely recognized as a platelet-aggregating agent.