Myocardial infarction

Disease class: Myocardial ischaemia

Also known as a heart attack.

A myocardial infarction is a common cause of heart damage and death.

 

Types

• Anterior wall myocardial infarction
• Inferior wall myocardial infarction
• No-reflow phenomenon 
• Non-ST elevated myocardial infarction
• shock, Cardiogenic 
• ST elevation myocardial infarction

 

Risk factors

• Diabetes mellitus

 

Pathophysiology

When insufficient blood reaches the myocardium (heart muscle), it will quickly become ischaemic. Following prolonged severe ischaemia, necrosis will begin (infarction).  

The infarction is usually repaired by fibrosis. This produces a fibrotic scar in the heart which is incapable of muscular contraction. This may appear as an akinetic area on echocardiography.

 

See also 

• If an infarction occurs in the brain : Brain infarction