| cardiac infarction | A term used to describe irreversible injury to heart muscle. Synonym: heart attack. See: infarction. Common symptoms include substernal, crushing chest pain that may radiate to the jaw or arms. Chest pains may be associated with nausea, sweating and shortness of breath. Acronym: MI (27 Sep 1997) |
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| cerebral infarction | Infarction of brain tissue. (12 Dec 1998) |
| peri-infarction block | An electrocardiographic abnormality associated with an old myocardial infarct and caused by delayed activation of the myocardium in the region of the infarct; characterised by an initial vector directed away from the infarcted region with the terminal vector directed toward it. (05 Mar 2000) |
| watershed infarction | Cortical infarction in an area where the distribution of major cerebral arteries meet or overlap. (05 Mar 2000) |
| postmyocardial infarction pericarditis | <pathology> Inflammation of the pericardium. (18 Nov 1997) |
| postmyocardial infarction syndrome | <syndrome> A complication developing several days to several weeks after myocardial infarction; its clinical features are fever, leukocytosis, chest pain, and evidence of pericarditis, sometimes with pleurisy and pneumonitis, with a strong tendency to recurrence; probably of immunopathogenetic origin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| heart rupture, post-infarction | Rupture of the heart after myocardial infarction. (12 Dec 1998) |
| splenic infarction | Cell death (necrosis) of a portion or all of the spleen due to an interruption in blood flow. (27 Sep 1997) |
| infarction | 1. <cardiology> The formation of an infarct. 2. An infarct. Origin: L. Infarcire = to stuff in (18 Nov 1997) |
| biopsy, myocardial | <investigation, procedure, surgery> A procedure which involves the removal of a small specimen of cardiac muscle tissue for microscopic analysis. This is generally performed at the same time as a cardiac catheterisation or as a very similar, yet separate, procedure. A small piece of heart tissue is taken via a small forceps inserted into the cardiac catheter site (usually threaded through a vein in the neck). This test may reveal the cause of a cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, amyloidosis or a heart transplant rejection. (21 Mar 1998) |
| myocardial | Refers to the heart's muscle mass. (09 Oct 1997) |
| myocardial biopsy | <procedure> A procedure which involves the removal of a small specimen of cardiac muscle tissue for microscopic analysis. This is generally performed at the same time as a cardiac catheterisation or as a very similar, yet separate, procedure. A small piece of heart tissue is taken via a small forceps inserted into the cardiac catheter site (usually threaded through a vein in the neck). This test may reveal the cause of a cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, amyloidosis or a heart transplant rejection. (27 Sep 1997) |
| myocardial bridge | A bridge of cardiac muscle fibres extending over the epicardial aspect of a coronary artery; this finding, in cases of sudden unexpected death, has led to speculation that cardiac contraction during exertion could constrict the coronary artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myocardial contraction | Contractile activity of the heart. (12 Dec 1998) |
| myocardial contusion | A bruise to the heart muscle, usually caused by a blunt force applied to the anterior thorax (motor vehicle accident). Commonly seen in association with a rib or sternum fracture. Complications include cardiac arrhythmias and death. (27 Sep 1997) |