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Cardiac rupture and ventricular septal defect in isolated right coronary artery disease
Chest
|March 1, 1981
Insights
A patient experienced cardiac rupture and death within 24 hours of a heart attack due to a ventricular septal defect. This case highlights how isolated right coronary artery disease can cause fatal mechanical complications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Acute myocardial infarction can lead to mechanical complications.
- Ventricular septal defects are a known, albeit rare, complication of myocardial infarction.
Observation:
- A patient presented with acute posteroinferior myocardial infarction.
- The patient developed a ventricular septal defect and subsequent cardiac rupture.
- Death occurred within 24 hours of myocardial infarction onset.
Findings:
- Autopsy revealed single-vessel disease exclusively involving the right coronary artery.
- The patient had a ventricular septal defect and cardiac rupture secondary to myocardial infarction.
Implications:
- Isolated right coronary artery disease can precipitate severe, fatal mechanical cardiac complications.
- This case underscores the importance of considering coronary artery anatomy in patients with myocardial infarction and mechanical complications.
Abstract:
A patient is described who had both ventricular septal defect and then cardiac rupture with death within 24 hours of the onset of acute posteroinferior myocardial infarction. At autopsy he was found to have single-vessel disease involving the right coronary artery. Isolated disease of the right coronary artery can produce unexpected, fatal mechanical complications.