What is an MI?

Important, main cause is arterial atherosclerosis, topography depends on location, depends on coronary artery affected, variable distribution on wall thickness (transmural - entire thickness, or subendocardial - innermost layer only) Macroscopy (usually LV, red soft first, then yellow, then transluscent then white and hard) Microscopy (necrosis w/in 48 hours acidophilic fibers (coagulation necrosis) or pale vacuolized fiber (liquefication), interstitial inflammatory cells, 10th day conjunctival organization (granuloma them cell poor fibrosis)) Complications (arrhythmias, HF, heart rupture, mural thrombus/embolus, cardiac aneurysm, angina, Dessler's syndrome, recurrence, sudden death