Myocardial rupture after myocardial infarction. Detection by multi-gated image-acquisition scintigraphy.
Myocardial rupture following infarction usually is an acute and dramatic event. Rarely, it may take a subacute course, allowing surgical treatment. We report herein a case of subacute rupture of the heart in a 54 year old patient with acute myocardial infarction. The rupture was diagnosed by the appearance of a radiopaque halo around the heart during radionuclide ventriculography. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection of a large anterolateral aneurysm and a 2 inch long rupture of the myocardium and survived. Clinical suspicion, prompt diagnosis, and surgical intervention are important in the management of this relatively unusual complication of infarction.
D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006341:Heart Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging