Multimodality cardiac imaging of a ventricular septal rupture post myocardial infarction: a case report

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a mechanical complication following acute myocardial infarction (MI).
• VSR is typically caused by coagulation necrosis due to impaired collateral reperfusion.
• While invasive ventriculography is the gold standard, non-invasive methods like echocardiography and cardiac MRI are reliable for diagnosis.

Observation:

• A 62-year-old female presented with a late-diagnosed VSR after an inferior MI.
• Diagnosis was confirmed using a combination of multimodality cardiac imaging techniques.
• The imaging modalities included two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), cardiac MRI (CMR), and ventriculography.

Findings:

• Multimodality cardiac imaging effectively diagnoses VSR post-MI.
• TTE with color flow Doppler and CMR are valuable non-invasive diagnostic tools.
• VSR diagnosis can be achieved even in late presentations.

Implications:

• Accurate and timely diagnosis of VSR is crucial for patient management.
• Non-invasive imaging modalities improve diagnostic capabilities for VSR.
• Understanding VSR presentation and diagnosis aids in clinical decision-making and treatment strategies.