[Ventricular septal defect in acute myocardial infarction].

Ventricular septal rupture is the fourth-common cause of death after cardiac arrhythmia, acute congestive failure and rupture of the cardiac wall in acute myocardial infarction. Generally it can be easily diagnosed by a systolic jet sound in the 4th and 5th intercostal space parasternally on the left side. Differential diagnostic difficulties occur in the acute phase of infarction regarding papillary muscle rupture. Myocardial rupture does not occur immediately after the onset of the pectanginous state and not within the first day of illness, but generally within the first week. Vasodilatory treatment permits only short-term stabilisation of vascular problems, however, time is made available for diagnostic measures, usually catheterisation of both sides of the heart and coronary angiography. Immediate operation and occlusion of the defect, if necessary accompanied by a saphenous vein bypass, is presently considered treatment of choice. Out of the three patients with this complication the ruptured site could be occluded surgically in two, one of whom had severe cardiogenic shock. Shock symptoms regressed immediately and the postoperative course was unremarkable. In the third patient no operation was performed due to his age of 77 years and general vascular sclerosis. He died of cardiogenic shock 11 hours after admission to hospital.