What is ventricular aneurysm?
A ventricular aneurysm can be a serious complication of a heart attack (myocardial infarction). It occurs when a weakened section of the wall of one of the ventricles, the lower heart chambers, expands and bulges like a balloon at the spot where the heart attack occurred.
What causes a ventricular aneurysm?
More specifically, a ventricular aneurysm is a blood-filled bulge that occurs as a result of an area of weakened tissue in the heart wall. In most cases, ventricular aneurysms form as a result of damage from a previous heart attack, though they may also be caused by defects present from birth.
How serious is a heart aneurysm?
A ruptured aortic aneurysm can lead to life-threatening internal bleeding. In general, the larger the aneurysm, the greater the risk of rupture. Signs and symptoms that your thoracic aortic aneurysm has burst include: Sudden, intense and persistent chest or back pain.
When does ventricular aneurysm occur?
A true left ventricular aneurysm following acute myocardial infarction can occur as early as 48 hours or two weeks post-infarction. Within hours of the infarction, the gross thinning of the infarct zone occurs. The migration of inflammatory cells in the infarct zone occurs by 2 to 3 days post-infarction.
What ECG finding is most consistent with a ventricular aneurysm?
T-wave/QRS ratio < 0.36 in all precordial leads favours LV aneurysm.
Can a heart aneurysm go away?
Abdominal aortic aneurysms do not go away, so if you have a large one, you may need surgery. Surgery involves replacing the aneurysm with a man-made graft. Elective surgery, which is done before an aneurysm ruptures, has a success rate of more than 90 percent.
How is ventricular aneurysm diagnosed?
A ventricular aneurysm may be noninvasively diagnosed by means of echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radionuclide ventriculography, or dynamic gated computed tomography (CT) scanning. It may also be recognized during cardiac catheterization by means of left ventriculography.
