Images in Clinical Medicine

Something Fishy Going on in the Heart

James de la Torre, and Julius Bishop

N Engl J Med 2002; 347:1769November 28, 2002

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Article

Figure 1 An important component of the second-year pathology course at medical school is becoming familiar with the microscopical manifestations of pathologic processes. While examining tissue from a patient with a subendocardial myocardial infarction at a two-headed microscope, students identified a blood vessel that looked a little fishy. This slide demonstrates myocardial fibrosis after a subendocardial infarction. Fibrotic tissue is apparent around remaining viable myofibers. The labeled blood vessel (arrow) is cut in such a way that it has a familiar appearance that is particularly appetizing to proponents of n–3 fatty acids.

James de la Torre
Julius Bishop
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115-5720