TABLE 1.

Summary of the histopathological findings of infarct hearts of mice that either died of the spontaneous onset of cardiac rupture (CR) or were freshly culled 3–5 after MI.

Histological findings	CR (n = 10)	Freshly culled (n = 14)
Severe inflammatory infiltration of the infarct wall	10	8 (57.1%)
Intramural hemorrhage and hematoma	10	9 (64.3%)
Disruption of necrotic cardiomyocytes	10	9 (64.3%)
Wall rupture (transmural or non-transmural)	10 (transmural)	6 (42.9%) (4 transmural, 2 wall erosion)
Intramural thrombus (IMT)	9	6 (42.9%)
IMT linked to LVT at the endocardial site of the rupture tunnel	10	3 (21.4%)
LV chamber blood clots containing platelet-fibrin-rich thrombi and inflammatory cells	7	6 (42.9%)

IMT, intramural thrombus.