Hibernating myocardium

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

In cardiology hibernating myocardium is a state when some segments of the myocardium exhibit abnormalities of contractile function. These abnormalities can be visualised during echocardiography or ventriculography. The wall of the affected segments is hypo-, a- or dyskinetic.

The phenomenon is highly significant clinically because it usually manifests itself in setting of chronic ischemia, which is potentially reversible by revascularisation. The regions of myocardium are still viable and can restore its function. There develops a new steady state between myocardial blood flow and myocardial function, myocardial blood flow reduced and in consequence function is reduced too.

The clinical situations where one can expect hibernating myocardium are:

• chronic stable angina pectoris
• unstable angina
• silent ischemia
• after AMI

• stunned myocardium
• myocardial scarring

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