POST MORTEM DIAGNOSIS OF EARLY MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Acute Myocardial Infarction as a cause of death is diagnosed in many cases of sudden death based on the indirect evidence of critical narrrowing (75%) of one or more coronary arteries. Microscopic evidence of infarction is seen in H & E stained sections only if the person has survived for a minimum period of 6 hours after sustaining fatal ischaemic attack. In this study we have used two laboratory methods for visualisation of infarcts of lesser 'age', viz.-Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) Macro Test and Acridine Orange Fluorescence Study. The former is a gross staining procedure which can reveal infarcts of 5-6 hours age, while the later is UV Fluorescent microscopic examination capable of detecting infarcts of 2 hours age. Although these procedures are well accepted ones, the aim of this article is to induce Forensic Pathologists to incorporate these tests in the study protocol of all sudden death cases with the aim of 'visualising' the infarct rather than basing the diagnosis on indirect evidence of critical narrowing of Coronaries.