title: Acute left ventricular rupture following posterior wall myocardial infarction.
abstract: Free wall rupture, the most fearful complication of myocardial infarction, mostly attacks anterior walls. Acute rupture is characterized by rapid development of mechanical arrest accompanied with bradyarrhythmia or electromechanical dissociation. The majority of patients succumb to death as the result of cardiac tamponade. Risk factors are advanced age, female gender, the first-time myocardial infarction, hypertension, and ST-segment elevation. We report a rare case of posterior wall myocardial infarction complicated with left ventricular rupture initially presenting with junctional escape rhythm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. cechiang@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Chi-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sung-Hao
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shao-Sung
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kang-Ling
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chern-En
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006342:Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery