Pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes.

The natural history of coronary artery disease is punctuated by clinical manifestations of unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction, and ischemic sudden death. These acute coronary syndromes share common pathophysiologic mechanisms that include fissuring of a plaque followed by varying degrees of dynamic coronary obstruction, which is due to vasoconstriction and coronary thrombosis. The response to plaque fissure is likely to be modulated by local and/or systemic procoagulant and anticoagulant-fibrinolytic activities. The key role of coronary thrombosis in acute coronary syndromes has substantial implications for prevention and treatment of complications of coronary atherosclerosis.