Which of the following is the most frequent cause of liquefactive necrosis observed in clinical practice?

Cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke) is the most frequent cause of liquefactive necrosis because the brain contains abundant lipid-rich myelin and high enzymatic activity. Ischemic injury leads to rapid enzymatic digestion of dead cells, resulting in a liquid viscous mass. In contrast, myocardial infarction typically causes coagulative necrosis, and tuberculous lymphadenitis causes caseous necrosis. Fat necrosis is a distinct form involving enzymatic fat digestion, not liquefactive. Thus, the brain's unique structure and metabolism explain why cerebral infarction predominantly leads to liquefactive necrosis.

Reference: Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th Edition, Volume 1, Chapter 5: Cell Injury, Cell Death, and Adaptations / Pages 53-55