Myocardial Ischaemia: An Overview

Cardiac ischaemia can occur for a variety of reasons including sustained coronary spasm, the disruption of atherogenic plaques (Fuster et al. 1990), the accumulation of thrombi (Davies 1990) and even a sustained but significant reduction in perfusion pressure. Irrespective of its cause, however, cell death and tissue necrosis are the inevitable outcome, unless the underlying pathophysiological event is rapidly reversed, or prophylactic measures have been taken.