[Rupture of a post-infarct ventricular aneurysm. Apropos of 3 cases cured surgically]

Abstract

The authors report 3 cases of post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm with localised rupture into the pericardium. The patients (3 men aged 54, 58 and 67 years old) had left ventricular aneurysms (2 anterior, I posterior) which ruptured early, between the second and tenth week. All presented with cardiogenic shock. The diagnosis was made by 2D echocardiography (I case) or by pericardial aspiration and angiography (2 cases). Good results were obtained by surgical evacuation of the hemopericardium and resection of the ventricular aneurysm with a follow-up of 3 to 12 months. The rarity of these cases is underlined: only three other similar cases appear to have been previously reported.