Type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) refers to myocardial necrosis caused by an imbalance in myocardial oxygen supply and demand and in the absence of acute coronary thrombosis. Despite growing recognition of this entity, there remains little understanding of the pathophysiology and uncertainty over the diagnostic criteria for this subtype of MI. Alarmingly, recent studies suggest that a diagnosis of T2MI pertains a prognosis similar to, if not worse than, type 1 MI. With increasing clinical use of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays, the frequency of recognition of T2MI is expected to increase. Yet, there remains a scarcity of prospective studies examining this cohort of patients, let alone randomized clinical trials identifying optimum treatment strategies. Further evaluation of the prevalence, pathophysiology and management of this patient cohort is warranted by the scientific community.