Click on image to view larger version.

Figure 2 Mechanisms by which inflammation can promote plaque disruption and the acute coronary syndromes. The pathophysiology of the acute coronary syndromes depends on plaque disruption and the thrombotic/fibrinolytic balance of the plaque’s "solid state" and the blood’s "fluid phase." Inflammation regulates two major mechanisms of plaque disruption: a frank fracture of the fibrous cap and superficial erosion of the intimal surface. Inflammatory mediators also influence the thrombotic/fibrinolytic balance of both the plaque and the blood.