Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm causing myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident

Although post-infarction mortality is most often due to ventricular dysrhythmias, the non-dysrhythmic causes of post-myocardial infarction death present a potential dilemma to the clinician. Non-dysrhythmic hemodynamic complications include cardiogenic shock, left ventricular free wall rupture, rupture of the interventricular septum, papillary muscle rupture, left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm, and acute stroke. We present a rare case of a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm presenting with altered mental status, ultimately suspected to have caused the thromboembolic complications of acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc.