[Quantitative electron microscopic analysis of tissue components of the sinoatrial area of the heart in sudden death due to alcoholic cardiomyopathy].

The tissue components of the conducting myocardium of the sinus node (SN) and the working prenodal myocardium of the right atrium (RA) in the sinoatrial area of the heart were quantitatively ultrastructurally analyzed in 8 males who had suddenly died from alcohol cardiomyopathy with (n = 3) or without acute alcohol intoxication at the age of 32 to 56 years. The volume densities of myocytes, connective tissue, capillaries and nerves, as well as the diameters of conducting and working myocytes were measured individually for SN and RA. The findings were compared with those in sudden extracardiac death and sudden coronary death. Whether the results of this study are essential for corrective ultrastructural identification of SN and RA in alcoholic cardiomyocytes and for understanding the role of structural homeostasis of the human cardiac sinoatrial area in this abnormality is discussed in the paper.