title: Myocardial rupture with left ventricle to coronary sinus communication: an unusual post-infarction mechanical complication.
abstract: We describe a rare case of post-infarction myocardial rupture leading to communication between the left ventricle and coronary sinus, which eventually led to a left-to-right shunt. The observation was made in an elderly woman with subacute infero-posterior myocardial infarction. Diagnosis was initially made by transthoracic echocardiography (elicited by the finding of high-velocity flow within a dilated coronary sinus), and was confirmed in greater detail at cardiac magnetic resonance. This description adds to the list of known post-infarction mechanical complications. The finding of high-velocity flow within the coronary sinus after myocardial infarction suggests the possibility of myocardial rupture leading to left ventricle to coronary sinus communication; an unusual but potentially treatable complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Maggiore, Policlinico S. Orsola, University of Bologna, Italy. e_perugini@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perugini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sbarzaglia
authors.forename: M Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pallotti
authors.forename: Pier Camillo
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Pavesi
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Pasquale
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D054326:Coronary Sinus; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006342:Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging