title: Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm and α1-antitrypsin enzyme deficiency: another pathological correlation.
abstract: Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) is usually linked to chronic lung dysfunction and chronic liver disease. Recent evidence have shown involvement also of the cardiovascular system. Indeed, dissection of the thoracic aorta or of the coronary arteries, and intra-cerebral aneurysms has been shown to represent concomitant vascular adverse events and apparently related to the impaired vascular wall integrity, strictly related to the elastase levels which are usually modulated by the A1AT. The case herein reported describes a patient affected by A1ATD associated with a large pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle without any known predisposing factors to pseudoaneurysm development (coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, taruma and myocarditis) indicating that the connective tissue impairment documented in A1ATD may also affect the myocardial structure, ultimately leading to weakened wall integrity, sudden rupture and pseudoaneurysm formation successfully managed by a surgical approach.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corda
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizzardi
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Units, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Cicco
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Aloia
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morone
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pompilio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Units, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelsomino
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Units, Community Hospital, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: roberto_lorusso@iol.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorusso
mesh_terms: D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D019896:alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology