Pathology in general is closely linked with clinical medi- cardiographic
changes may be desired and therefore a cine and in cardiovascular
pathology this interdepend- short section has been included on cutting
the heart ence is, perhaps, greater than in most other specialities.
according to conventionally used echocardiographic In recent years great
advances in investigatory proce- planes. dures have taken place,
including the examination of The heart can only react to physiological
changes or fresh endomyocardial tissue obtained by bioptome, per- damage
in a limited way and therefore a separate chapter mitting not only
clinico-pathological correlation but also on hypertrophy and dilatation
and another chapter deal- examination at histochemical and
ultrastructural levels. ing with changes in the endocardium, which
reflect hae- Angiography has gained wider usage and two-dimen- modynamic
alteration and may additionally show sional echocardiography is no
longer the preserve of diagnostic features, are also included.
Degeneration to- specialized units. Percutaneous coronary transluminal
gether with changes in connective tissue and ischaemic angioplasty is a
relatively new approach to relieving heart disease are separately
presented. Atherogenesis, obstructive coronary artery disease. Cardiac
pathology recognition of myocardial infarction and the earliest mor- has
therefore moved apace, providing not only a back- phological changes
discernible at histochemical and ground to clinical manifestations but
also visual proof for ultrastructural levels of investigation, which are
within other investigations such as immunology and virology. the scope
of modern routine laboratories, are empha- Such investigations have
played an essential role in sized.
