A 55-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of sharp chest pain for the past 3 hours. He does not take any medications. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 35 years. An ECG shows diffuse ST elevations in leads I, aVL, and V3-V6. During the next several hours, the patient develops progressive shortness of breath that worsens when lying flat. Which of the following histologic features is most likely to be present in this patient's lung tissue?

Question

A 55-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of sharp chest pain for the past 3 hours. He does not take any medications. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 35 years. An ECG shows diffuse ST elevations in leads I, aVL, and V3-V6. During the next several hours, the patient develops progressive shortness of breath that worsens when lying flat.  Which of the following histologic features is most likely to be present in this patient's lung tissue?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Acute pulmonary edema is a common consequence of acute myocardial infarction affecting the left ventricle.  Elevated hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary venous system leads to engorged alveolar capillaries with transudation of fluid into the alveoli, appearing as acellular pink material on microscopy.  Hemosiderin-laden macrophages are indicative of chronic lung congestion and are not present acutely.

A 55-Year-Old Man Is Brought to the Emergency Department Because