Histological study of myocardial ischemic tissue

Introduction: in agreement with the epidemiological evidences, the main natural cause of death observed in Milan Legal Medicine Institute is represented from ischemic cardiopathy. It is important for pathologist, through macroscopic and microscopic cardiac analysis, to formulate a judgment on the cause of death and professional responsibility. In these cases the dating of ischemic myocardial lesions plays an essential role. In literature we can found the Lodge-Patch study; but it presents a limit: unexplored temporal interval to the first 6 hours from the ischemico event. Methods: the Authors selected from Archives of Milan Legale Medicine Institute 130 cases of ischemic myocardial death and 50 control cases of extracardiac natural death. Range of age has turned out comprised between 17 and 90 years. For each case has been carefully evaluated history and autopsy findings. The heart section , after paraffin inclusion, have been stained with hematoxylin-eeosin and special coloration (Masson’s trichrome, van Gieson and Blue Alcian). Results: the obtained outcomes have satisfied object to it to you prefixed, concurring to establish the cause of death in all analysed cases and to find of specific histomorphological markers in the temporal interval of six hours, unexplored in the study of Lodge-Patch. Conclusions: in our study it has been possible to exceed the limitation sets up from Lodge-Patch study. In fact has been identified specific cellular and extracellular markers already within 3^ the hour from the acute event (anisoinotropism) and between 3^ and 6^ the hour from the same (waves). It therefore has validated the usefullness of the histocronologic method in medical legal activity.