Table 1

Macroscopic and microscopic criteria for determining cardiac pathology

DisorderMacroscopic appearanceMicroscopic appearance
Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathyLeft ventricular wall thickness ⩾15 mm and or heart weight ⩾500 gMyocyte hypertrophy, disarray and interstitial fibrosis
Idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophyLeft ventricular wall thickness ⩾15 mm and or heart weight ⩾500 gMyocyte hypertrophy with or without fibrosis and no myocyte disarray
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular hypertrophyRight ventricular thinning with fatty replacement and fibrosisFat and fibrosis throughout the wall of the right ventricle and/or left ventricle
Idiopathic fibrosisNormal left ventricular thickness ⩽15 mmFocal and diffuse interstitial and/or replacement fibrosis in the ventricular wall
Coronary artery pathology
AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis with narrowing >75%Acute/chronic infarction in the left ventricle
Anomalous coronary arteryAnomalous origin of the coronary artery, coronary artery atresia, stenosisFibrosis/acute/chronic infarction in the left ventricle
Coronary artery spasmCircumferential subendocardial haemorrhagic infarction with normal coronariesAcute infarction in the left ventricle
Coronary dissectionTear in the coronary artery mediaInfarction in territory of artery
Morphologically normal heartNormalNormal
Other cardiac pathology
MyocarditisNormal, dilated wallInflammation with myocyte necrosis
Floppy mitral valveMitral valve ballooningMyxoid change in the valve
Sickle cell crisisNormalSickle cell in intramural coronary vessels with microinfarcts in the myocardium