A Clinicopathologic Study of Autopsy Cases with Myocardial Infarction Treated with Coronary Intervention(PTCA/Stenting).

A clinicopathologic study was made in 28 patients who died after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with coronary intervention (CI: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or Stenting). Nineteen patients received PTCA (12 men and 7 women, 42 to 85 years of age, mean 71.4 years), and 9 patients received stenting after PTCA (8 men and 1 woman, 49 to 86 years of age, mean 67.7 years). Hemorrhagic infarction was found in 23 cases. Compared to direct PTCA, more severe hemorrhage was found in cases treated with PTCA after intracoronary thrombolytic therapy (rescue PTCA: r-PTCA). Also, severe hemorrhage in the infarct area was found in cases treated with percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) after AMI. Hemorrhagic infarction was found even in patients treated with CI in the early phase after AMI, and also in some patients who recovered from initial heart failure after AMI. Compared to usual ischemic infarct, healing was greatly delayed in the hemorrhagic infarct area. We conclude that special care is required in the treatment of patients who received CI, because of a high possibility of hemorrhage in the infarct area after CI and the delay in healing in the hemorrhagic infarction area.