Left ventricular aneurysm
(Redirected from Left Ventricular Aneurysm)
Background
- Thin or fibrotic ventricular wall
- Muscle may be absent or necrotic
- Akinetic or dyskinetic wall (paradoxical ballooning)
Causes
Clinical Features
- May be asymptomatic
- History of myocardial infarction
- Angina
- Shortness of breath or dyspnea on exertion
- CHF symptoms
- Mitral regurgitation murmur
- S3/S4 heart sounds
- More common in women than men
Complications
- Heart failure (LV aneurysm steals cardiac output)
- Angina (increased O2 demand)
- Ventricular dysrhythmias (LV stretch/scarring)
- LV thrombus (50% of time), arterial embolism (stroke)
- LV rupture (rarely occurs in mature LVA because of dense fibrosis)
Differential Diagnosis
ST Elevation
- Cardiac
- ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
- Post-MI (ventricular aneurysm pattern)
- Previous MI with recurrent ischemia in same area
- Wellens' syndrome
- Coronary artery vasospasm (eg, Prinzmetal's angina)
- Coronary artery dissection
- Pericarditis
- Myocarditis
- Aortic dissection in to coronary
- Left ventricular aneurysm
- Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm
- Early repolarization
- Left bundle branch block
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH)
- Myocardial tumor
- Myocardial trauma
- RV pacing (appears as Left bundle branch block)
- Brugada syndrome
- Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
- AVR ST elevation
- Other thoracic
- Metabolic
- Drugs of abuse (eg, cocaine, crack, meth)
- Hyperkalemia (only leads V1 and V2)
- Hypothermia ("Osborn J waves")
- Medications
Evaluation
Workup
- ECG
- Persistent characteristic ST elevation after MI
- Non-specific ST segment changes
- Q or QS waves
- T waves small relative to QRS
- No reciprocal changes
- CXR
- Prominent left heart border
- Calcified aneurysm
- May have mass-like appearance
- TTE
- LV angiography
- Cardiac MRI
Diagnosis
Differentiate left ventricular aneurysm from STEMI and other causes of ST-elevation
- Strongly suspect STEMI if:
- Symptomatic
- No q waves present (LV aneurysm typically produces significant q waves)
- Evolving changes on serial ECG
- Reciprocal changes
- Consider two rules to differentiate[1]
- Rule 1
- If (Sum of T-wave amplitudes in V1-V4) divided by (Sum of QRS amplitudes in V1-V4) > 0.22
- Suggestive of STEMI, with ~87% accuracy
- Rule 2
- If any lead in V1-V4 has T-wave amplitude to QRS amplitude ratio > 0.35
- Suggestive of STEMI, with ~89% accuracy
- Rule 1
STEMI Stages of Development
Stage | Duration | Timing | Finding | ECG |
1 | 30min - hours | Hyperacute T waves
|
Normalizes in days, weeks, or months | |
2 | Minutes - hours | ST segment elevation
|
ST segment resolution occurs over 72hrs; completely resolves within 2-3wks | |
3 | Within 1hr; completed within 8-12hr | Q waves | Persist indefinitely in 70% of cases |
Management
- Be sure to rule out acute or subacute coronary syndrome
Medical Therapy (first line)
- Afterload reduction (ACEI)
- Antianginal (Nitro)
- Anticoagulation (if LV thrombus)
Surgical Therapy
- Aneurysmectomy and CABG (and possible valve repair) if ventricular arrhythmias and/or HF refractory to medical therapy
Disposition
- Cardiothoracic surgery consultation
See Also
References
- ↑ Klein LR, Shroff GR, Beeman W, and Smith SW. Electrocardiographic criteria to differentiate acute anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction from left ventricular aneurysm. Am J Emerg Med. 2015 Jun;33(6):786-90.