[Acquired isolated ventricular septal defects]

Among the acquired defects of ventricular septum the rupture of the septum are known to occur as a rare complication following penetrating and non-penetrating injuries of the chest and more common as sequel of myocardial infarction. A left to right shunt usually follows the acute rupture of the interventricular septum, and is usually lethal. Only a few patients survive for several months under conventional therapy. Early diagnostic procedures using heart catheterization are crucial to determine whether surgical maneuvers are necessary. We present patients who experienced acute rupture of the ventricular septum. We discuss their pathological and clinical findings as well as the problems related to prognosis and therapy.