Two-dimensional echocardiographic identification of surgically correctable complications of acute myocardial infarction.
The appearance of a new, loud systolic murmur in a patient with congestive heart failure after an acute myocardial infarction suggests a surgically correctable cause of the heart failure. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, we studied 14 patients who presented in this manner. Four patients had rupture of a papillary muscle with a flail mitral valve. All four had surgery; three survived. Five patients had fibrosis of the posteromedial papillary muscle. All five had surgery; three survived. Five patients had a ventricular septal defect. Three of the five had surgery; one survived. Two-dimensional echocardiography is useful in studying patients with a new systolic murmur and congestive heart failure after acute myocardial infarction to detect surgically correctable structural defects.
D000208:Acute Disease; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D006341:Heart Rupture; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology