title: Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma: a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma (IDH) is a rare complication of myocardial infarction, with very scarce reports in medical literature. Before the advent of non-invasive imaging techniques, the diagnosis of IDH was only made by necropsy. It can develop in the left ventricular free wall, the right ventricle, or the interventricular septum. We present a case of a patient with an IDH after acute anterolateral myocardial infarction, focusing on the utility of echocardiography in the diagnosis and follow-up of this unusual complication. By this imaging modality, it was possible to see the various acoustic densities of the progressive clotting of the intramyocardial haematoma, its extension through the haemorrhagic dissection, as well as its independency in relation to ventricular cavities and extracardiac space by confirming intact epicardial and endocardial layers. Based on this report, we believe that serial two-dimensional echocardiography, added, when necessary, by the use of contrast agents is the non-invasive method ideally suited to confirm the diagnosis and monitor its evolution at the patient's bedside.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Santo António General Hospital, Oporto Hospital Center, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. vascoalvesdias@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meireles
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Severo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres