Post-infarction ventricular septal defect and aneurysm formation.

A fairly young man suddenly developed a large ventricular septal defect (VSD) after an extensive anterolateral and anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Because of congestive cardiac failure refractory to medical treatment he underwent simultaneous closure of the VSD and left ventricular aneurysmectomy 6 weeks after the myocardial infarction. Some 14 months after operation the patient is completely asymptomatic on the minimum of medical therapy and is able to live normally. The literature on these two combined lesions complicating acute myocardial infarction and their surgical correction was caused by coronary spasm of the Prinzmetal variety with underlying normal coronary arteries.