Electrocardiographic and pathologic features of myocardial infarction in man: A correlative study

Abstract The electrocardiographic and pathologic findings in 10 cases of myocardial infarction were investigated. In each case, electrocardiograms prior to and following the occurrence of myocardial infarction were available, and the pathologic features were demonstrated by a uniform technic. The electrocardiographic changes were interpreted in terms of the ventricular excitation sequence reported by Scher. In 7 of the 10 cases, there were QRS alterations which were not explicable on the basis of localized tissue loss applied to that sequence. This finding was considered evidence of intraventricular conduction disorders due to myocardial infarction. Alteration of the QRS complex which could be attributed to localized tissue loss was associated with all infarcts that occurred in the interim between control and postinfarction electrocardiograms. This evidence of tissue loss did not, however, reflect all of the areas actually occupied by the lesions.