SUDDEN DEATH DUE TO VENTRICULAR FREE WALL RUPTURE FOLLOWING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: THREE CASE REPORTS

Dr. Harshwardhan Khushalrao Khartade*, Dr. Nilesh Keshav Tumram, Dr. Shailendra G. Dhawane, Dr. Pradeep Gangadhar Dixit

ABSTRACT

Ruptured heart is the most common cause of a haemopericardium and cardiac tamponade, the rupture always occurring through an infarct in non-traumatic cases. In these reports, the authors present three separate rare incidents of left ventricular free wall rupture and subsequent haemopericardium which were never suspected and detected only after meticulous autopsy. In all three cases, pericardial cavity contained clotted blood weighing 150 grams or more and site of rupture was free wall of left ventricle through myocardial infarct, 3 to 7 days old. These cases are of interest due to scarcity of such reports and they emphasize that high index of suspicion is necessary for diagnosis of such cases.

Keywords: tamponade, autopsy, haemopericardium, sudden death.