Color Doppler features of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm.

A patient had left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after mitral valve replacement surgery. The diagnosis was made by color flow Doppler demonstration of systolic flow between the left ventricular chamber and an echo-free space posterior to the heart which was initially interpreted as localized pleural effusion. Color Doppler features of this entity have not been previously described. Color flow cardiac Doppler enhances echocardiographic and pulsed Doppler diagnosis of left ventricular pseudoaneurysms.