[False aneurysm of the left ventricle. A sometimes late finding]

Left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm is a rare complication of myocardial infarction, usually of the inferior wall. It is generally a sudden event due to rupture of the heart which is contained by the pericardium. The outcome is usually rapidly fatal by secondary rupture or adiastole. The authors report a case of pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle measuring 3.5 cm in diameter observed following a small inferior wall myocardial infraction in a diabetic patient with a history of inferior wall myocardial infarction 38 years previously. This case is interesting because of the silent character of the pseudo-aneurysm, very probably complicating the previous infarct.