Morphology and frequency of early myocardial damage in various diseases

A microscopic wavy appearance of myofibers as an expression of early myocardial damage was studied in random sections of both the right and left ventricles in 207 consecutive autopsies. Waviness of myofibers was consistently associated with fuchsinorrhagia, indicating chemical alterations in the wavy fibers. Both waviness and fuchsinorrhagia appeared to precede the necrosis of myofibers. These changes were transient and were absent in frankly infarcted myocardium. Severe and extensive waviness was present in the left ventricle in recent myocardial infarction and in both ventricles in pulmonary emphysema. Waviness and fuchsinorrhagia were observed more frequently in the right than in the left ventricular myocardium except with recent infarction. It is considered that covert recent myocardial damage, particularly of the right ventricle, may precipitate death in many non-cardiac diseases.