Disappearance of a left ventricular aneurysm on radionuclide ventriculography due to formation of a mural thrombus.
Radionuclide ventriculography is an accepted method for diagnosing left ventricular aneurysms, but false-negative studies have been associated with a mural thrombus filling the left ventricular cavity. We describe a patient with a left ventricular aneurysm due to myocardial infarction whose aneurysm scintigraphically "disappeared" from serial radionuclide ventriculograms. This was documented echocardiographically and pathologically to be due to the formation of a large mural thrombus. Review of the literature suggests that radionuclide ventriculography and echocardiography may be complementary techniques in the diagnosis of left ventricular aneurysm. Echocardiography may remain diagnostic when a mural thrombus has caused the loss of the characteristic scintigraphic findings on radionuclide ventriculography.
Reimers
C
C
Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York 10003.
Van Tosh
A
A
Berger
M
M
Luna
E
E
Horowitz
S F
SF
D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology