Ventricular septal defect remains an infrequent but devastating complication of acute MI. Approximately 1∼3% of cases of acute myocardial infarction are complicated by ventricular septal rupture in the prethrombolytic era and the incidence has decre...
Ventricular septal defect remains an infrequent but devastating complication of acute MI. Approximately 1∼3% of cases of acute myocardial infarction are complicated by ventricular septal rupture in the prethrombolytic era and the incidence has decreased to 0.2% with reperfusion therapy. This mechanical complication usually occurs within the first 10 to 14 days when necrotic tissue is most abundant and the collateral coronary circulation is not well developed. This lesion is generally associated with complete coronary obstruction rather than severe stenosis. Rupture of the ventricular septum is a severe mechanical complication of acute myocardial infarction, usually resulting in death unless surgical repair is performed. The bad prognosis of this event within the first 2 weeks indicates the need for early surgical rapair. This complication is more frequent after the first acute myocardial infarction in the elderly and secondary to a transmural myocardial infarction. We report two cases of ventricular septal rupture after acute myocardial infarction.