Diagnosis of Myocardial Abscess After Acute Myocardial Infarction by Transesophageal Echocardiography: Case Report and Short Review of Published Data

A 56-year-old man received thrombolysis for an anterior myocardial infarction after chest pain for 18 hours. Ten days later he was readmitted with fever and hemodynamic deterioration. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a thin-walled cavity at the apex of the left ventricle. At operation he was found to have a myocardial abscess, and after excision and antibiotics his subsequent clinical course was uneventful. We review the echocardiographic diagnosis and clinical features of myocardial abscess complicating acute infarction. Presumed etiologic factors in our patient included late thrombolysis, mural thrombus, and poor dental hygiene leading to septicaemia.