[Acute myocardial infarction with angiographically normal coronary arteries: what are we missing?]

Myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries (MINCA) can be observed in a relevant subset of patients with MI. It can be considered a syndrome, since it includes several clinical entities with specific pathogenetic mechanisms. Its prevalence is extremely variable, accounting for 5-25% of all acute myocardial infarctions. MINCA may arise from epicardial, microvascular, or myocardial localizations. Clinical history, echocardiography, coronary angiography and left ventriculography represent the first diagnostic step; however, additional tests are often required to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis is extremely variable, depending on the causes of MINCA. Therefore, the identification of the correct etiology of MINCA is crucial to stratify patients appropriately and, hence, select the best treatment approach. In this review article, the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of MINCA are discussed, highlighting that coronary angiography alone is not sufficient for the complete understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms.