Necrosis
Necrosis is the death of body tissue. It occurs when too little blood flows to the tissue. This can be from injury, radiation, or chemicals. Necrosis cannot be reversed.
When large areas of tissue die due to a lack of blood supply, the condition is called gangrene.
![Necrosis of the toes](https://ssl.adam.com/graphics/images/en/9690.jpg)
Necrosis is death of a portion of tissue or an organ in the body. Tissue death occurs when there is not enough blood supplied to the area, whether from trauma, radiation, or chemicals. Once necrosis is confirmed, it is not reversible.
References
Oakes SA. Cell injury, cell death, and adaptations. In: Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC, eds. Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier;2021:chap 2.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 9/18/2023
Reviewed by: Anna C. Edens Hurst, MD, MS, Associate Professor in Medical Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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