Post-Myocardial Infarction Free-Wall Rupture Contained by Pericardial Adhesions With Development of LV Pseudoaneurysm, Successful Palliative Treatment

Left ventricular (LV) aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms can complicate transmural myocardial infarctions (MI). Myocardial rupture most frequently leads to cardiac tamponade and sudden death and is responsible for approximately 10% to 20% of deaths from acute myocardial infarctions (1). Only very rarely, patients may develop contained bleeding, which can lead to the development of an LV pseudoaneurysm. Such a contained LV rupture usually occurs only with preexisting pericardial adhesions. We present a dramatic case of a patient who had a remote coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and suffered a myocardial infarction years later, with a subsequent LV wall rupture. He survived that without surgical intervention but subsequently developed a large LV pseudoaneurysm.