Controlled myocardial injury produced by a hypothermal method.

Following a review of experimental methods used for the production of necrosis or inactivation of the myocardium, a new method employing low temperatures is described. Lesions, with complete necrosis of muscle cells, can be controlled as to size and can be selectively placed to involve any of the four cardiac chambers and the interventricular septum. This facilitates attempts to study chronic myocardial insufficiency in terms of quantity and location of damaged muscle. Also, it has been possible to produce disturbances in conduction by production of small interventricular septal lesions. Refined electrocardiographic analysis of the magnitude and location of ventricular lesions has not been possible.