Histopathological findings of myocardial tissue in CHF, MI and cardiac arrest

Introduction: Coronary arteries are responsible for perfusing the myocardium with oxygen rich blood. Based on bodily requirements, these vital arteries can quickly adjust oxygen delivery to the myocardium to meet demand. Coronary arteries, however, can become narrowed by pathologies such as atherosclerosis leading to ischemic heart disease. The most common form of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is coronary artery disease. With over 17.9 million lives lost annually, Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death. CAD progressively develops overtime due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques can eventually rupture and result in complete occlusion of the coronary artery leading to a myocardial infarction, a severe and life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical intervention including percutaneous coronary interventions. Methods: Cadaveric specimens were collected from myocardial tissue that had varying pathologies including cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction. Moreover, tissue was collected from various regions of the myocardium including apex and right atrium. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed on myocardial tissue specimens and was subsequently analyzed via microscopy. Results: Microscopic analysis revealed that extensive changes occur to the myocardium follow ischemic and non-ischemic insults. These changes include myocardial fibrosis, coagulative necrosis and myocardial hypertrophy. Conclusion: Overall, this analysis demonstrates the histopathological findings that are common following insults to the myocardiu