| Abstract: | Macroscopic hemorrhagic infarction was studied in 14 autopsied hearts with selective coronary thrombolysis (SCT) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In all patients urokinase, 240,000 - 720,000 units, had been selectively injected into ischemia-related coronary artery at 2 - 7 hours after the onset of AMI. The degree of stenosis after SCT was 90 - 99% in 13 patients and 100% in one patient. According to the duration of illness at death, the 14 patients were classified into 3 stages; stage I: 4 - 9 hours; stage II: 15 hours to 11 days; stage III: 19 days to 12 months. Three hearts in stage I had no macroscopic hemorrhage. In stage II, marked and diffuse hemorrhage in the infarct area was macroscopically evident in 6 of 7 hearts. In a stage II patient, extravasation of contrast medium into the myocardium was found at 3 hours after the onset of AMI. In stage III, 4 hearts had massive fibrosis or granulation in the left ventricular wall without macroscopic hemorrhage. Cardiac rupture was seen in 4 of 10 patients from stages I and II. It is concluded that macroscopic bleeding appears in most patients with AMI treated with coronary thrombolysis. In the majority of cases, the hemorrhage increases gradually after SCT and becomes macroscopically definite approximately 15 hours after the onset of AMI. Rarely, massive bleeding appears earlier. Hemorrhagic infarction is replaced by massive fibrosis after approximately 2 weeks. |
