Stunned myocardium

In cardiology stunned myocardium is a state when some section of the myocardium (corresponding to area of a major coronary occlusion) shows a form of contractile abnormality. This is a segmental dysfunction which persists for a variable period of time, about two weeks, even after ischemia has been relieved (by for instance angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery).

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In this situation, while myocardial blood flow (MBF) returns to normal, function is still depressed for a variable period of time.

Clinical situations of stunned myocardium are:

• acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
• after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
• after cardiac surgery

See also

• Hibernating myocardium
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial infarction