Myocardial infarction without atherosclerosis
M. D. Cheitlin, H. A. McAllister and C. M. de Castro
By far the most frequent pathologic condition preceding myocardial
infarction is coronary atherosclerosis. Because the great majority of
patients who are first seen with acute myocardial infarction have
atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, there is usually little thought
given to other causes, except in children where congenital coronary
anomalies are considered. However, there are multiple other conditions,
albeit far rarer than atherosclerosis, that can result in clinical acute
myocardial infarction, and a classification of these other conditions, an
anatomic-pathophysiologic one, was developed from illustrative material
from the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. This
classification is an inclusive listing of all conditions, however unusual,
that can result in acute myocardial infarction.
