“Swiss-Cheese” Left Ventricle in Acute Myocardial Infarction—A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: To present a rare occurrence of “Swiss-cheese” defects of left ventricle in acute myocardial infarction. Case Report: A 64-year-old male with persistent ST segment elevation in anterior and inferior leads developed sudden deterioration within 2 days after thrombolysis. Echocardiography revealed ventricular septal and LV (left ventricular) free wall ruptures at multiple sites with contractile dysfunction and the patient died suddenly, followed by an episode of ventricular tachycardia. Discussion: Myocardial rupture may complicate in 10% of acute myocardial infarctions and it is the second most common cause of in-hospital mortality next to pump failure. It is responsible for 15% of in-hospital deaths and 50% died within 5 days and 82% died within two weeks of index infarction. Conclusion: Aggressive early diagnosis and surgery may confer a survival rate as high as 75%. The prognosis is grave in patients presented with cardiogenic shock and multiorgan dysfunction; surgery is best avoided and supportive medical therapy may be adequate in such cases.