Characteristics and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA)

Myocardial infarction and non-obstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) is defined by the evidence of a spontaneous acute myocardial infarction and angiographic documentation of coronary stenosis <50% in any potential infarct related artery, after having excluded clinically overt causes for the acute presentation. The introduction of this new concept was meant to fill a gap in knowledge and to encourage discovery of putative pathophysiological mechanisms. In recent years, great advances have been made in the fields of epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prognosis estimation and therapeutics of this condition. So far, however, the definition of MINOCA is rather heterogeneous as specific cardiac conditions such as myocarditis and Takotsubo syndrome are included thus generating conflicting results. This doctoral dissertation is divided in four sections: part I, Introduction; part II, Characteristics and Prognosis; part III, MINOCA and Sudden Cardiac Death; part IV, MINOCA and Pharmacological Therapy. The aim of this work is to assess some controversial aspect of this condition, in particular with regards to the prognosis and pharmacological therapy for patients affected by MINOCA.