Acute rupture of a left ventricular false aneurysm.

Left ventricular aneurysm develop when rupture of the free ventricular wall is contained by the inflammatory surrounding tissues. These false aneurysms rupture secondarily and should be treated soon after diagnosis. The diagnosis is suggested by echocardiography and confirmed by cardiac catheterization. Immediate surgery is recommended, with good survival in most reports. The patient presented in this report had ruptured his left ventricular false aneurysm before diagnosis. He was operated and had a good initial postoperative course. He died later from a severe pulmonary infection.