Ischemic stroke due to embolism is defined as which.

• A. Blood clot elsewhere that travels to the brain
• B. Blockage that obstructs the flow of blood to brain
• C. Bubble forms a weakening of a vessel
• D. Elevated intracranial pressure

Answer: (A)

Embolic ischemic stroke occurs when a clot forms somewhere else in the body, travels through the bloodstream, and lodges in a cerebral artery to block blood flow. This traveling clot—an embolus—cuts off perfusion to brain tissue, causing sudden neurologic deficits. This is different from a blockage that simply obstructs brain blood flow without specifying an origin, a gas or air bubble causing embolism, or elevated intracranial pressure, none of which capture the idea of a distant clot traveling to the brain to cause the occlusion. Common sources of emboli include the heart in conditions like atrial fibrillation or after a myocardial infarction, where a clot can travel to cerebral vessels and produce an abrupt stroke in the affected territory.