Unusual rupture of left ventricular pseudo-false aneurysm secondary to subacute anterolateral myocardial infarction: a case report

Left ventricular (LV) pseudo-false aneurysm is a rare complication secondary to myocardial infarction and is caused by intramyocardial dissecting hematoma due to fragile myocardium. Very occasionally, intramyocardial dissecting hematoma appears as a neocavitation entirely contained within the myocardial wall (so called “pseudo-false LV”) and is an unusual form of subacute cardiac rupture.

A 38-year-old male experienced chest discomfort 3 weeks ago, which improved within few days. However, after that episode, he presented at our hospital with rapidly deteriorating severe breathlessness in a preshock state with acute heart failure. Emergency coronary angiography revealed an occluded left anterior descending artery. An intra-aortic balloon catheter was inserted because of unstable hemodynamics. Enhanced computed tomography revealed extensive aneurysm formation in the LV anterior wall and contrast leakage from the inner cavity to the LV myocardium, with a moderately accumulated pericardial effusion. Emergency surgery revealed a large aneurysmal sac on the anterior wall, slightly attached to the pericardium. A 5-mm, slit-like, oozing-type, rupture site was detected in the LV after dissecting the pericardium.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pseudo-false aneurysm on the LV anterior wall. Subacute rupture of pseudo-false LV aneurysm is rare.