[Myocardial infarction caused by closed thoracic injury: pathogenic and angiocoronarographic aspects. Apropos of 4 cases and review of the literature].

The 4 cases of transmural myocardial infarction by closed chest trauma reported by the authors bring the number of angiographically documented and published cases to 52. This group serves as a basis for a detailed review of coronary and myocardial anatomical lesions and their pathophysiological mechanism is suggested. Long controversial, direct traumatic coronary damage has been confirmed by coronary angiography and is the essential mechanism of transmural infarctions. Myocardial contusion, much commoner, is responsible for non transmural lesions which remain difficult to diagnose. The authors stress the twin value of coronary arteriography: pathophysiological with its medicolegal consequences, and also therapeutic since a revascularisation procedure may be particularly beneficial in situations where thrombolysis is generally contraindicated.