Contraction band necrosis is a type of uncontrolled cell death (necrosis) unique to cardiac myocytes and thought to arise in reperfusion from hypercontraction, which results in sarcolemmal rupture.[1]
It is a characteristic histologic finding of a recent myocardial infarction (heart attack) that was partially reperfused.
The name of the histopathologic finding comes from the appearance under the microscope; contraction bands are thick intensely eosinophilic staining bands (typically 4-5 micrometres wide) that span the short axis of the myocyte. They can be thought of extra thick striae, typical of cardiac muscle and striated muscle.
- ^ Rodríguez-Sinovas A, Abdallah Y, Piper HM, Garcia-Dorado D (December 2007). "Reperfusion injury as a therapeutic challenge in patients with acute myocardial infarction". Heart Fail Rev. 12 (3–4): 207–16. doi:10.1007/s10741-007-9039-9. PMID 17530396.