Free Wall Myocardial Rupture and Ventricular Septal Defect in an Ambulatory Patient

Myocardial rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI), usually presenting with chest pain. The most common site of rupture is the anterior wall. Myocardial rupture presents similar to cardiac tamponade, most frequently as cardiogenic shock. Many clinical conditions, however, present similarly. The differential diagnosis should include myocardial rupture if clinical suspicion is high. This report describes a 77-year-old man with a medical history putting him at significant risk for coronary artery disease status, including a coronary artery bypass graft, chronic kidney disease stage 3, and hyperlipidemia. He presented at the ED for worsening shortness of breath and feeling unwell. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed an anterior, anterolateral akinesis, a ventricular septal defect, and free wall rupture. Myocardial rupture is an acute cardiac emergency; a high level of clinical suspicion may help in detecting this rare manifestation of acute MI.