Heart-autopsy findings in cases of sudden death. The distribution of infarctions, coronary stenosis and thrombi.

The pathological heart changes observed have been recorded at necropsy of 55 male and 31 female patients who died during transport to the hospital or in the casualty ward. The extension of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was determined by a staining method using nitro-BT, and the infarctions were classified as transmural, combined or subendocardial. A total of 45 AMI's were found, and this is a lower frequency than normally found in sudden unexpected deaths when only death certificates are studied. The most frequent infarction type was the subendocardial infarction, which was present in 60% of the AMI-cases. Coronary thrombi were seen in only 24% of the AMI-cases, most frequently together with transmural infarctions.