[Microrelief of the coronary artery intima in sudden death]

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microrelief of the intima of coronary arteries in 11 cases of sudden death due to acute coronary insufficiency. In areas of macroscopically intact intima and in zones of minimal atherosclerotic lesions in patients dying of acute coronary insufficiency there were disorganization of intima microrelief with zones of flattening of folds of the first order, the appearance of microplaques with ulceration, dystrophic calcification which reflect early manifestations of coronary artery atherosclerosis. Another group of lesions (diendothelization of the intima with initial signs of parietal thrombus formation) characterizes the functional state of the vessel and serves an indirect criterion of acutely developing spasm of the coronary artery.