rather coronary sinuses that serve the purpose of returning de-oxygenated blood from the heart muscle. A thrombus is a type of embolism, a more general term for any material that partially or fully blocks a blood vessel. An atheroembolism, or cholesterol embolism, is when an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures and becomes an embolism.Atherosclerosis is the progressive thickening of blood vessels and plaque formation that eventually can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD). See also Myocardial infarction (heart attack) References External links Heart diseases