[Silent myocardial ischemia. Current concepts of pathophysiology and diagnosis]

Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) is divided into 3 groups: type I: completely asymptomatic patients, type II: patients after acute myocardial infarction with SMI, type III: patients with angina pectoris (AP) and SMI. Pathophysiology on the lack of pain-perception and the cause for high tolerance against pain in SMI-patients has not yet been cleared up. It is most likely that more than one mechanism is involved in every patient, e.g. generally lower pain-perception in SMI-patients, physically counter-regulation in pain, duration and strength of myocardial ischemia. Diagnosis of SMI can be made by exercise- and long-term-ECG, thalliumszintigraphy and coronary angiography, in doing so the pros and cons of the 4 established methods have to be noted. The summary of the findings together with the lack of pain leads to the diagnosis of SMI.