Subacute Rupture of the Free Left Ventricular Wall Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: Successful Surgery in a Case

Free left ventricular wall rupture following acute myocardial infarction usually results in cardiac tamponade and sudden death. Occasionally, the bleeding to the pericardial sac is arrested by the surrounding pericardial tissue causing a pseudoaneurysm formation. The case herein reported presented with a refractory pericardial effusion, one month after an anterior myocardial infarction. While echocardiography failed to reveal a pseudoaneurysm or to localize a rupture, cineventriculography disclosed the diagnosis of a minimal rupture from the left ventricular free wall. The patient was successfully treated by surgery.