[Rupture of the interventricular septum in acute myocardial infarct]

The authors examined ruptures of the interventricular septum in 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Septal ruptures comprise 8% of all cardiac ruptures that occur within the early days of infarction, they are poorly diagnosed, and most of such patients die before the end of the 1st--5th week due to acute left-ventricular insufficiency. Characteristic features suitable for making the diagnosis are lacking. A transverse systolic murmur and "cat's purr" are important, but rare signs. Systolic murmur, maximum at the apex, is seen more often than of transverse, which makes the differential diagnosis of papillary muscle rupture still more complicated.