title: Practical approach to the diagnosis of sudden unexpected death of cardiac origin.
abstract: Experiences concerning the practical demonstration of recent myocardial lesion (infarction) with various conventional and enzyme-histochemical methods are explained. It has been found in our laboratory that besides careful inspection of the heart, additional useful information can be obtained with ordinary H-E staining and beta-OH butyrate dehydrogenase reaction on frozen sections. Myocardial cells are darkly eosinophilic in the areas of infarction. Uneven staining in the dehydrogenase reactions was regarded as a sign of lesion in that section. beta-OH butyrate dehydrogenases revealed the damage more clearly than succinate and malate dehydrogenase. The enzyme reactions were usable as late as 7 days after death if decomposition had not commenced.
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D002087:Butyrates; D003645:Death, Sudden; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D006416:Hematoxylin; D006801:Humans; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D006416:Hematoxylin