MINI-SYMPOSIUM

The pathology of myocardial infarction in the pre- and post-interventional era

M Pasotti¹, F Prati², E Arbustini³

¹ Center for Inherited Cardiomyopathies, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
² Interventional Cardiology, S. Giovanni Hospital, Roma, Italy
³ Molecular Genetics, Cardiovascular and Transplant Pathology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

Correspondence to:
Dr Eloisa Arbustini
Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Pathology, Area Trapiantologica, Piazzale Golgi 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy; e.arbustini@smatteo.pv.it

Abbreviations: CCU, coronary care unit; MI, myocardial infarction; MR, mitral regurgitation; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; PTCA, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; STEMI, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, UA/NSTEMI, unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Keywords: myocardial infarction; pathology; reperfusion

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) relies on symptoms, electrocardiographic findings, and biochemical markers (troponin, serum creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB).^1,2 Acute ischaemic syndromes are now classified as unstable angina/non-ST-elevation MI (UA/NSTEMI) and acute ischaemic syndromes with ST-elevation MI (STEMI).^1,2 The new diagnostic criteria and markers are leading to increased proportions³ of acute ischaemic syndromes being recognised as acute MI. Obviously, elevated troponin concentrations are not, by themselves, synonymous with acute MI and can occur in a variety of cardiac and non-cardiac disorders (for example, sepsis or septic shock, pulmonary embolism, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).⁴ Therefore, the diagnosis of acute MI relies on the combination of all clinical and biochemical tools, each providing its own diagnostic contribution.

The pathological hallmark of acute MI is coagulative necrosis of the myocardium. All recent advances in the definition, diagnostic work-up and treatment of MI are essential to perform an informative . . . [Full text of this article]

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