Cardiomyocyte remodeling in ischemic heart disease.

Objective: The aim of the study was to detect changes in left ventricular cardiomyocyte size and shape in response to chronic ischemia and loss of cardiac tissue (myocardial infarction) during the course of ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Material And Methods: Left ventricular cardiomyocyte dimensions (diameter and length) were estimated histomorphometrically, and their cross-sectional area and volume were assessed in 85 males who died suddenly out of hospital (within 6 hours of the onset of the terminal event) due to the acute first (preinfarction IHD group, n=53, aged 48.6+/-2.

Out-of-hospital coronary heart disease death: acute pathological lesions.

Background: The majority of deaths due to acute coronary heart disease (CHD) occur outside hospital, unexpectedly, within the first few hours following the onset of the terminal event. Data on the incidence and nature of acute pathological findings in the affected hearts as seen in routine autopsies are somewhat controversial. Detailed pathological examination of coronary arteries and myocardium of such decedents was performed to clarify the situation.

[Changes of heart geometry in patients with ischemic heart disease].

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine ventricular and atrial cardiometric parameters at preinfarction and postinfarction stage of ischemic heart disease.

Object And Methods: Cardiometric parameters (mass, endocardial surface area, the tracts of flow and outflow, etc.) of 132 men (mean age of 49.

[Ischemic heart disease: structural changes of the atria in preinfarction and postinfarction stages].

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine atrial structural remodeling during the development of ischemic heart disease.

Material And Methods: Quantitative histomorphometric parameters of interstitial collagen network (the percentage volume, perimeter, number of fibers per field and collagen-cardiomyocyte volume ratio) of the atria of 132 autopsied men (mean age 49.7+/-8.

[Reliability of data of death causes: comparison of premortem and verified by autopsy postmortem diagnoses].

Objective: The goal of the investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of medical diagnostics of death causes.

Material And Methods: In the framework of population-based postmortem examination program the latest premortem and postmortem diagnoses of the underlying (principal disease), direct (lethal complication) and contributory (contributory pathology) causes of death of 1030 deceased and autopsied people of local randomized unit (Jonava district) autopsy study were compared.

Results: The discrepancy between premortem and postmortem diagnoses was 35.

[Results of morphologic epidemiologic study of coronary arteries in Kaunas population aged 20-69 years: atherosclerotic lesions and their interrelationship].

Objective: The object of study was the type, frequency and extent, as well as correlation of atherosclerotic lesions in Kaunas population aged 20-69 years.

Results: The frequency and intimal area of raised atherosclerotic lesions (fibrous and complicated plaque and calcinosis) are age-dependent. The increase of raised lesions area seems to alter at different decades of life.

[Myocardial pathology in sudden ischemic death: peculiarities of morphologic diagnosis].

Objective: The aim of the investigation was to determine morphological criteria of acute myocardial injures in sudden ischemic death.

Material And Methods: Morphological investigation of the whole myocardium and coronary arteries in 170 victims of sudden out-of-hospital death due to ischemic heart disease was performed in the framework of the international WHO program "Myocardial Infarction Register in Population" and joint (at that time) USSR-USA project on sudden death.

Results: It was established, that out-of-hospital sudden death due to ischemic heart disease in all cases is related to irreversible myocardial injury: 92.

[Pathobiological determinants of atherosclerosis in youths: data from a macromorphometric and histomorphometric investigation of the aorta and coronary arteries].

We present a review of data from epidemiological and morphological studies carried out in Kaunas of atherosclerosis in youths. Since 1985, Kaunas has been a Collaborating Center involved with the World Health Organization and International Society and Federation of Cardiology studying the pathobiological determinants of atherosclerosis in youth. During the pilot study (1985-1987), we estimated the prevalence and extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta and coronary arteries correlated to various risk factors in Kaunas residents aged 5 to 44 years.

[Fifty years of creative work (Society of Lithuanian Pathologists, 1954-2004)].

The article deals with the activity stages and forms of Society of Lithuanian Pathologists (in 1954-1991--Republic Scientific Society of Pathologoanatomists, in 1991-1996--Society of Lithuanian Pathologoanatomists). Founder of the Society and the first President (in 1954-1976) was prof. Janina Mackevicaite-Lasiene, in 1976-1996--prof.

[Trends in the development of atherosclerosis in Kaunas population].

The trends of development of atherosclerosis were evaluated by comparing the epidemiological morphological data from the seventh decade (first study, 1962-1965) and the tenth decade (second study, 1991-1993) of the 20th century. The first study included arteries from 818 patients (422 men and 396 women); whereas the second study included arteries from 1252 patients (958 men and 294 women). We have observed an age-independent increase in frequency and extent of the raised atherosclerotic lesions in aortas and coronary arteries of Kaunas men in the second study.