[Myocardial abscess--a rare complication of myocardial infarct]

From almost 16,000 autopsies during the last ten years, 2 patients were found to have secondary infection and abscess formation from ischemic myocardial necrosis, corresponding to a frequency of 0.125 per thousand of all autopsies. They are compared to 21 cases already described. Myocardial abscess is a very rare but nearly always fatal complication of myocardial infarction. More commonly found in patients with diabetes mellitus, it increases the risk of myocardial rupture and purulent pericarditis.