Coronary plaque rupture⚠️ . This visual shows what is happening within a coronary artery during plaque rupture. This is the pathophysiologic mechanism of a myocardial infarction - or simply put - a heart attack. This is the cross section of a coronary artery. . 1️⃣ Over the course of years, atherosclerotic plaque builds up within the lumen of the artery. A major contributor is lipoprotein deposition via high LDL cholesterol levels. This is complemented by inflammation, fibrosis, and calcificatio