Nasser T K, Nasser W K, Slack J D, Pinkerton C A, Smith M L, Adlam J H, Pinto R P, Bergfelder P
Indiana Heart Institute, St. Vincent Hospital.
Indiana Med. 1990 Jun;83(6):414-7.
This report involves a patient who sustained an acute lateral wall myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. Cardiac catheterization revealed diastolic equilibration of all intracardiac pressures. Cardiac angiography revealed only acute occlusion of a small branch of the left circumflex coronary artery with good left ventricular systolic function. Since these findings could not explain the degree of cardiogenic shock, an immediate echocardiogram revealed a moderate pericardial effusion with an echo-dense mass suggestive of subacute cardiac rupture. Emergency cardiac surgery confirmed the diagnosis and successful surgical correction resulted in survival of the patient.
