This document summarizes the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. It begins by outlining risk factors for atherosclerosis including modifiable factors like hypertension, smoking, and diabetes. It then describes the progression of atherosclerotic plaques and how acute plaque changes can lead to angina or myocardial infarction. For myocardial infarction, it details the key events including ATP depletion, loss of contractility, and the timeline for reversible versus irreversible injury. It closes by discussing the morphological changes that occur post-infarction over time and potential consequences and complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, and chronic ischemic heart disease.
3. Risk Factors
Non Modifiable Modifiable Others
Genetic
abnormalities
Family history
Increasing age
Male gender
Hyperlipidemia
Hypertension
Cigarette
smoking
Diabetes
Inflammation
Hyperhomocystenemia
Metabolic syndrome
Lipoprotein A
16. Key Events
Feature Time
Onset of ATP Depletion Seconds
Loss of Contractility <2 minutes
ATP reduced
50% of Normal
10% of Normal
10 minutes
40 minutes
Irreversible cell Injury 20 – 40 minutes
Microvascular Injury >1 hours
18. Gross – Myocardial Infarction
Histochemical Stain
with
triphenyltetrazolium
chloride
19. Morphology at 0 – ½ hour
• Reversible
• No gross changes
• No light microscopic changes
• Electron microscopy
• Relaxation of myofibrils
• Glycogen loss
• Mitochondrial swelling
20. Morphology ½ hr – 4 hrs
• No gross change
• Light microscopy
• Waviness of fibres at borders
• Electron microscopy
• Sarcolemmal disruption
• Mitochondrial amorphous densities
22. Morphology 12 – 24 hrs
• Gross
• Dark Mottling
• Light Microscopy
• Coagulative necrosis
• Marginal Contraction band necrosis
• Early neutrophilic infiltrate
23. Morphology 1 – 3 days
• Gross
• Mottling with yellow-tan infarct centre
• Light Microscopy
• Coagulative necrosis
• Interstitial infiltrate of Neutrophils
24. Morphology 3 – 7 days
• Gross
• Hyperemic border
• Central yellow – tan softening
• Light Microscopy
• Disintegration of dead myofibers
• Early phagocytosis of dead cells
25. Morphology 7 – 10 days
• Gross
• Yellow tan
• Soft
• Depressed red tan margins
• Light Microscopy
• Phagocytosis
• Granulation tissue formation
36. References
• Robbins and Cotran pathologic basic of disease
• Atlas of Forensic pathology, Peter M Cummins
• Autopsy pathology – A manual and atlas, Andrew J Connolly