Stunned myocardium

Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Stunned myocardium or myocardial stunning is a state in which a section of the myocardium (corresponding to area of a major coronary occlusion) contracts abnormally despite normal blood flow. Myocardial stunning is a reduction in myocardial contractility reperfusion not accounted for by tissue damage or reduced blood flow. This is a segmental dysfunction which persists for a variable period of time, about two weeks, even after ischemia has been relieved (by angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery).

In this situation, while myocardial blood flow (MBF) returns to normal, function is still depressed for a variable period of time.

Stunned myocardium can be observed in the following clinical scenarios:
 * Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
 * After percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
 * After cardiac surgery

Additional Readings
Ischemic Heart Disease at the Cellular Level

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