ST elevation myocardial infarction gross pathology

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Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Overview
Myocardial infarctions can be classified temporally from clinical and other features, as well as according to the pathological appearance as:


 * Evolving phase of myocardial infarction: (>6 hours),
 * Acute phase of myocardial infarction: (6 hours – 7 days),
 * Healing phase of myocardial infarction: (7–28 days),
 * Healed phase of myocardial infarction: (29 days and beyond).

Time from Onset and Gross Morphologic Finding Relations
 * 18 - 24 hours: Pallor of myocardium
 * 24 - 72 hours: Pallor with some hyperemia
 * 3 - 7 days: Hyperemic border with central yellowing
 * 10 - 21 days: Maximally yellow and soft with vascular margins
 * 7 weeks: White fibrosis

Gross Pathological Findings
Images courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology