Encephalomalacia is term given to describe softening or loss of brain parenchyma with or without surrounding gliosis, as a late manifestation of injury.
Encephalomalacia is the end result of liquefactive necrosis of brain parenchyma following insult, usually occurring after cerebral ischaemia, cerebral infection, haemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, infection, surgery or other insults. It is not synonymous with gliosis, which is the proliferation of glial cells in response to injury.