[Frequency, etiological factors and the morphological characteristics of myocardial infarct in youth]

Examinations were carried out on 827 deceased with myocardial infarction (MI), 27 (3.26%) out of them being at a rather early age (26-44). The average age of those examined with MI at that early age is 39. The males are affected more frequently than females -- ratio 3.5:1. In 89 per cent of the examined the coronary insufficiency was manifested clinically and morphologically before the age of 40 and two or more MI, with a different duration were established. The most frequent causes of the development of MI are coronary atherosclerosis in 48.15 per cent, rheumatism (coronary embolism) in 14.81 per cent, endarteritis obliterans in 7.14 per cent and leutic coronaritis in 3.70 per cent. In 25.93 per cent of the examined only lipoidosis or completely intact coronary arteries were established. Almost in all of the examined cardiac hypertrophia was present, the average weight of the heart being 434 g. In a part of the examined, morphological changes in microcirculation were observed -- namely -- formation of microthrombosis, manifested intimal cushions, fibrosis of the walls and perivasal fibrosis of the muscular arteries and arteriols.