Echocardiographic Findings in a Patient with Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm

ABSTRACT A 57-year-old woman, treated for a large anterior transmural myocardial infarction, was readmitted after 8 weeks because of progressive cardiac failure. Chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly with an atypical cardiac silhouette. Two-dimensional echocardiography disclosed a large left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. The patient underwent resection of the false aneurysm with repair of the left ventricular wall and recovered gradually. Different methods for diagnosing pseudoaneurysm are discussed.     

Post Infarction Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm Properly Diagnosed Clinically and Angiographically and Successfully Treated Surgically

A case of pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle following acute myocardial infarction is reported. The condition was accurately diagnosed by left ventricular angiography and successfully treated by surgical resection of a massive false aneurysm.     

Beta Receptor Derangement in Postinfarction Left Ventricular Perianeurysm Tissue

The purpose of this study was to evaluate alterations in adrenergic receptor density in patients with postinfarction left ventricular aneurysms. Resected specimens from 4 patients with left ventricular aneurysm were studied using standard techniques to evaluate beta receptors, alpha receptors, and muscarinic receptors in the border zone, perianeurysm tissue, Only the beta receptors demonstrated up-regulation around the aneurysm (p=0.0003). This indicates that infarction with aneurysm formation can alter adrenergic receptor density, which may affect cellular response and predispose to arrhythmogenesis.     

Postinfarction ventricular aneurysms

Ventricular aneurysms are circumscribed, thinwalled fibrous, noncontractile outpouchings of the ventricle. The majority are apically located, true aneurysms of the left ventricle (LV) that occur as a consequence of transmural myocardial infarction (MI). The precursor of aneurysm formation appears to be infarct expansion early after acute MI and occurrence generally relates to infarct size. The presence of underlying hypertension and the use of steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents may promote aneurysm formation. The clinical sequelae include congestive heart failure (CHF), thromboembolism, angina pectoris, and ventricular tachy-arrhythmias. Late rupture is a particular complication of false aneurysms in which the pericardium is the aneurysm wall. The diagnosis may be suspected by the clinical finding of a diffuse, pansystolic apical thrust, persistent ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram, and distortion of the cardiac silhouette on chest x-ray. This can be confirmed using echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, and cardiac catheterization. The latter has the additional advantage of being able to delineate the coronary anatomy. Management involves prevention, specific therapy for the various clinical manifestations, and surgery. Therapeutic interventions with thrombolytic agents, aspirin, heparin, and beta blockers that are applied early in the evolution of an MI may limit infarction size, thereby reducing the tendency toward infarct expansion and aneurysm formation. Patients with mild CHF can usually be controlled with the standard combination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, and digoxin. Thromboembolism is best prevented by anticoagulation with warfarin for at least 3 months after the acute MI. The choice of pharmacotherapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias should be guided by electrophysiologic studies. The treatment of patients with angina pectoris utilizes conventional therapeutic modalities. Refractory angina and high-risk coronary anatomic subsets have replaced CHF as the commonest indications for surgical intervention in recent studies. In these patients, aneurysmectomy is often performed as an aside to the primary revascularization procedure. Although aneurysmectomy may improve the functional status and ejection fraction of some patients with CHF, its effect on prognosis is less certain. The prognostic advantage of surgery appears to be related more to coronary revascularization than to the aneurysm resection per se.     

Rapid Occurrence of Giant Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm after Mitral Valve Replacement

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysms are an uncommon and frightening complication after mitral valve replacement. We report the case of a 54‐year old woman, having undergone a mitral valve replacement with uneventful postoperative course and normal echocardiographic predischarge control, who was readmitted to hospital, only 16 days later, for rapidly progressing dyspnea, and finally echocardiographically diagnosed to have a massive 8‐cm long pseudoaneurysm communicating with the left ventricle through a narrow communication. The patient was proposed for emergency surgery but unfortunately died preoperatively.     

An Unusual Case of a Giant Pseudoaneurysm Formation after Myocardial Infarction

In the era of early and invasive therapeutic approaches, myocardial rupture has become an uncommon complication of myocardial infarction. We report an uncommon complication following inferior myocardial infarction with both left ventricular and right ventricular rupture and subsequent communication via a shared pseudoaneurysm. (Echocardiography 2010;27:E83‐E86)     

Postinfarction intramyocardial dissection,an interesting case report and systematic review

Intramyocardial dissection (IMD) with ventricular septal rupture (VSR) following myocardial infarction (MI) is a rare subacute form of cardiac rupture. The evidence available in this regard is scarce. We aimed to share our experience and conduct a systematic review of previous cases. We searched the literature and performed a systematic review of previous cases. A total of 37 cases of IMD with VSR were included (1 our original and 36 literature cases). Mean age was 68 ± 8 years and 20 (54.1%) patients were male. Anterior and inferior MI were observed in 14 (37.8%) and 23 (62.2%) cases, respectively. The dissected area was the septum, RV, both septum and RV, or LV apex in 21 (56.8%), 9 (24.3%), 5 (13.5%), and 2 (5.4%), respectively. Apicoseptal and inferoseptal VSR were observed in 15 (40.5%) and 22 (59.5%) cases, respectively. At least one occluded artery was observed in 29 (90.6%) of cases. Reperfusion therapy was done for 15 (40.5%) cases before the VSR occurred. Surgery, percutaneous, and medical therapy were done for 26 (70.3%), 3 (8.1%), and 7 (18.9%) cases, respectively. The mortality rate was significantly higher in the medical versus surgical-treated group (85.7% versus 42.3%, P = .027). There was a trend to higher mortality in the group with dissection of both septum and RV (P = .15). We concluded that echocardiography has a critical role in diagnosing this complication. Surgery is mandatory in IMD with VSR.     

Subacute Rupture of the Free Left Ventricular Wall Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

ABSTRACT. In previously published cases of subacute or sealed postinfarction rupture of the free left ventricular wall, the patients presented a clinical picture of sudden shock and tamponade. Our patient, a 64-year-old man, suffered renewed chest pain on the fourth postinfarction day and went into cardiogenic shock, which was pharmacologically reversible. There were no bed-side signs of tamponade and the ECG showed the pattern of acute pericarditis, both features in contrast to previously reported cases in the literature. Echocardiography demonstrated localized fluid in the pericardial sac and a puncture revealed non-coagulating blood. The patient was successfully operated on. At surgery a small rupture sealed by blood clots was demonstrated in the infarcted inferior wall of the left ventricle.     

Pseudoaneurysm of the Left Ventricle

Abstract: A case study is reported of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who developed a pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle after inferior myocardial infarction. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by radionuclide cardiac blood pool imaging and by contrast ventricu-lography; the aneurysm was successfully excised.     

Left ventricular intra-myocardial dissection after myocardial infarction

Left ventricular (LV) intra-myocardial dissection or dissecting hematoma is a rare complication of myocardial infarction that could occur in the acute phase, during remodeling process and even after coronary revascularization. LV intra-myocardial dissection has a high mortality, and the best management strategy remains controversial. Here, we present a case of dissection of left ventricle late after anterior myocardial infarction diagnosed by multimodality imaging.     

A Rare Clinical Entity: Ventricular Septal Rupture with Right Ventricular Wall Dissection after Inferior Myocardial Infarction

Right ventricular wall dissection following ventricular septal rupture related to inferior myocardial infarction has been reported in a few cases. In most of the cases, right ventricular wall dissection was diagnosed in postmortem studies. Herein, we present a 68-year-old man who had a ventricular septal rupture with right ventricular wall dissection after inferior myocardial infarction. Early recognition of this complication with bedside transthoracic echocardiography and prompt surgical repair are key to achieving survival in these patients.     

Left Ventricular Rupture after Embolic Myocardial Infarction Due to Mitral Valve Endocarditis

We report a very rare case of a 43‐year‐old patient with fatal left ventricular subepicardial aneurysm rupture complicating embolic myocardial infarction due to mitral valve infective endocarditis.