The diagnostic relevance of results, obtained by myocardial biopsy has not yet been defined. This book is the outcome of an international meeting which took place in July 1978 to assess the importance of myocardial biopsy. The meeting was organized under the auspicies of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology, and speak­ ers from many parts of Europe were invited to report on their ex­ perience with this new technique. The special aim was to correlate myocardial biopsy results with clinical and hemodynamic data in different myocardial diseases and to outline the relevance of myo­ cardial biopsy techniques for morphological, morphometric, im­ munologic and biochemical purposes. Most of the essential parts of the discussions has been included in the text of the contributors. I should like to express my gratitude to Professor J.F. Goodwin, Professor E.GJ. Olsen, and Professor G. Riecker, who acted as chair­ men and to all the participants of the workshop. I should particu­ larely like to thank Professor G. Riecker who encouraged the search for new ideas and insight into disease processes. I should like to acknowledge gratefully the generous financial support given by Pharma Schwarz, Monheim, West-Germany. In addition I am particularely grateful to the Springer-Verlag, who has arranged this edition accurately, including special intentions of the editor.