Cerebral infarction is one kind of stroke with tissue death that can be caused by any process that stops cellular metabolism. Most often this is vascular, caused by a reduction or interruption of normal blood flow. Infarction can also be caused by poisons and toxins (hexacholorophene, cyanide), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low oxygen (hypoxia), carbon monoxide (shifts the Hgb dissociation curve) etc.

Vascular causes of cerebral infarction are usually produced by arterial occlusions from an in situ thrombus or an embolus. Arterial infarctions usually follow known patterns of perfusion from blood flow maps (see link and diagram below}.

Venous occlusion causes infarction through stagnation and accumulation of deoxygenated blood in the brain. Venous infarcts have extremely variable patterns, and may be bilateral (e.g. after superior sagittal sinus thrombosis). Venous infarction often produces a significant deep and irregular parenchymal hemorrhage.