RUPTURE OF THE LEFT-VENTRICULAR FREE WALL DURING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION WITHOUT HEMOPERICARDIUM

Rupture of the left ventricular free wall is a major complication of acute myocardial infarction, and it usually leads to hemopericardium with tamponade. During the last 16 years, 138 patients with left ventricular free wall rupture during acute myocardial infarction have been studied at necropsy in this laboratory 1,2:131 (95%) had associated hemopericardium with probable or definite tamponade and 7 (5%) had no blood in the pericardial sac. This report describes certain clinical and morphologic findings in these 7 patients without hemopericardium. © 1990.