Transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm

We report an adult patient with a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm following an acute myocardial infarction in whom three-dimensional (3-D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) delineated clearly not only the location but also the size and shape of the rupture site. The size of the rupture site measured by 3-D TEE correlated well with the surgical measurements. Three-dimensional images also showed a localized superior distortion of the lateral aspect of the mitral annulus and left atrial wall produced by the pseudoaneurysm. The resulting severe mitral regurgitation practically disappeared after repair and decompression of the pseudoaneurysm.