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Original Articles: Adult Cardiac

Ventricular Septal Rupture Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction: Clinical Characteristics and Contemporary Outcome

^a Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark
^b Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark

Accepted for publication January 2, 2008.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Munk, Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, DK 8200, Denmark (Email: kim.munk{at}ki.au.dk).

Background: The objective of this paper was to study the patient characteristics and contemporary short- and long-term outcome in patients with postinfarct ventricular septal rupture.

Methods: Based on patient files and register data we performed a review of 64 consecutive patients with ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction, admitted to our tertiary center.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 70 ± 7. The median time was five days from onset of symptoms to the diagnosis of the ventricular septal rupture. The overall 30-day, one-, and five- year mortalities were 62%, 72%, and 95%, respectively. Medical treated patients (n = 19) had a 30-day mortality of 100%. Among surgically treated patients (n = 45) the survival at one month, one and five years was 71%, 48%, and 32%, respectively. History of hypertension, complicating congestive heart failure, and age were associated with poor outcome.

Conclusions: Despite improvements in medical and interventional techniques the early as well as the long-term prognosis remains poor in this contemporary series.