US Medical Term · anatomy
Myocardium
Miocardio
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Myocardium |
| Spanish (Español) | Miocardio |
| Chinese (中文) | 心肌 |
| Korean (한국어) | 심근 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Cơ tim |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Myokardyum |
| Portuguese (Português) | Miocárdio |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กล้ามเนื้อหัวใจ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 心筋 |
What it means
The myocardium is the muscle that makes up the wall of the heart. Unlike skeletal muscles you can voluntarily control, the myocardium contracts automatically and continuously — about 100,000 times a day — to pump blood throughout the body. It is supplied with oxygen through the coronary arteries. During a heart attack, part of the myocardium is deprived of blood and begins to die. Doctors measure an enzyme called troponin in the blood to detect myocardium damage — high troponin levels are a sign that heart muscle cells have been injured. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium that weakens or stiffens the heart muscle over time.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
The troponin test came back high, which means there is damage to my heart muscle — the myocardium.
La prueba de troponina salió alta, lo que significa que hay daño en el músculo de mi corazón, el miocardio.
My cardiomyopathy means the myocardium has become too thick to pump blood properly.
Mi miocardiopatía significa que el miocardio se ha vuelto demasiado grueso para bombear sangre correctamente.
The cardiac MRI will show how much of the myocardium was scarred by the heart attack.
La resonancia magnética cardíaca mostrará cuánto del miocardio fue dañado por el infarto.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026