The pathologic diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) requires evidence of myocyte cell death caused by prolonged ischemia. Characteristic findings include coagulation necrosis and contraction band necrosis, often with patchy areas of myocytolysis at the periphery of the infarct. During the acute phase of MI, most myocyte loss in the infarct zone occurs via coagulation necrosis and proceeds to inflammation, phagocytosis of necrotic myocytes, and repair eventuating in scar …