Table 1. Coronary thrombosis and acute myocardial infarction: a historical perspective.

•  1910: Obrastzowo and Straschesko described clinical features of AMI •  1912: J. Herrick showed that coronary thrombosis was not invariably fatal •  During the next 50 to 60 years, there was controversy as to the cause of AMI •  1966: Constantinitis et al. – autopsy of AMI in 16 patients showed that thrombus occurs at the site of plaque fissuring and was the primary event leading to myocardial infarction •  1972: Roberts et al. – thrombosis was secondary to AMI and not the primary event leading to AMI •  1974: Chandler et al. – National Institutes of Health workshop concluded that thrombosis is the primary event leading to AMI •  1976: Chazov et al. – intracoronary steptokinase used in two patients with AMI •  1979: Rentrop et al. – intracoronary steptokinase used in five patients with AMI •  1980: DeWood et al. conclusively showed that thrombosis is the primary event, with 84% demonstrating total occlusion at angiography in less than 4 hours after evolving transmural AMI •  1980s: Davies, Falk, and others – plaque disruption/erosion at thrombotic site was demonstrated routinely at autopsy in fatal AMI/ sudden cardiac death

AMI, acute myocardial infarction.