…and favour the accumulation of fat, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and extracellular matrix beneath the endothelium. Plaques that are particularly prone to rupture characteristically contain:…

…80% of cases. Other causes include acute mechanical complications—particularly ventricular septal defect (VSD) and papillary muscle rupture with acute severe mitral regurgitation—predominant right…

…muscle cells, leading to a white, platelet rich thrombus. Myocardial vulnerability, largely driven by coronary microvascular dysfunction, also contributes to the extension and severity of…

…include fixed coronary atherosclerosis without plaque rupture, coronary artery spasm, coronary microvascular dysfunction (encompassing endothelial dysfunction, smooth muscle cell dysfunction, and dysregulation of sympathetic innervation)…

…Ruptured atherosclerotic lesion with atherotrombosis. Over decades, the lesion progresses from a simple fatty streak to a complex fibroatheroma. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) migrate from…

…90 days. The central clinical danger is progressive aortic wall disruption, rupture and compromise of branch vessels. Type A disease may cause cardiac tamponade, severe…

…and other viral respiratory infections. However, in some individuals the infection may be severe and deadly. Importantly, COVID 19 has caused an unprecedented number of…

…atherosclerotic disease. Pathophysiology Mechanisms of acute coronary syndrome The major mechanisms producing acute coronary syndromes are: Plaque rupture with exposure of thrombogenic material. Superficial plaque…

…atherothrombosis. It is usually precipitated by disruption of an atherosclerotic plaque through rupture or erosion. The relative contributions of plaque disease and thrombus vary considerably…

…tricuspid inflow The echocardiographic counterpart of pulsus paradoxus Contraindications In overt tamponade with shock there are no absolute contraindications other than the conditions in which…