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Calcified left ventricular aneurysm: "an egg in the heart"
1Clinical Fellow Cardiology, Aintree Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool L9 7AL. United Kingdom.
The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal
|February 23, 2011
Summary
A rare case of a calcified left ventricular aneurysm, resembling an egg, developed 14 years after a heart attack. Unlike previous reports, this aneurysm lacked a mural thrombus, offering new insights into cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Pathology
Background:
- Left ventricular aneurysms can develop after myocardial infarction.
- Calcification within cardiac structures is a known, though uncommon, phenomenon.
- Previous reports link calcified left ventricular rings to mural thrombus formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a unique case of a calcified left ventricular aneurysm.
- To highlight the absence of mural thrombus in this specific case.
- To contribute to the understanding of rare post-myocardial infarction cardiac complications.
Main Methods:
- Case presentation of a patient with a history of anterior myocardial infarction.
- Review of imaging findings over a 14-year period.
- Clinical assessment for the presence of left ventricular mural thrombus.
Main Results:
- A calcified left ventricular aneurysm was identified 14 years post-anterior myocardial infarction.
- The aneurysm had a distinct "egg-in-heart" appearance.
- No left ventricular mural thrombus was detected in the patient.
Conclusions:
- This case demonstrates a rare instance of a calcified left ventricular aneurysm without mural thrombus.
- The long-term evolution of post-infarction cardiac remodeling can lead to unusual presentations.
- Further research may elucidate the mechanisms behind mural thrombus absence in such cases.
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