Ventricular aneurysm
Aneurysm of heart | |
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Heart left ventricular aneurysm short axis view |
Ventricular aneurysms are one of the many complications that may occur after a heart attack. The word aneurysm refers to a bulge or 'pocketing' of the wall or lining of a vessel commonly occurring in the blood vessels at the base of the septum, or within the aorta. In the heart, they usually arise from a patch of weakened tissue in a ventricular wall, which swells into a bubble filled with blood.[1] This, in turn, may block the passageways leading out of the heart, leading to severely constricted blood flow to the body. Ventricular aneurysms can be fatal. They are usually non-rupturing because they are lined by scar tissue.
A left ventricular aneurysm can be associated with ST elevation.[2]
Signs and symptoms
Ventricular aneurysms usually grow at a very slow pace, but can still pose problems. Usually, this type of aneurysm grows in the
Causes
Ventricular aneurysms are usually complications resulting from a heart attack. When the heart muscle (cardiac muscle) partially dies during a heart attack, a layer of muscle may survive, and, being severely weakened, start to become an aneurysm. Blood may flow into the surrounding dead muscle and inflate the weakened flap of muscle into a bubble. It may also be congenital.[citation needed]
Diagnosis
When a person visits the hospital or doctor with other symptoms, especially with a history of heart problems, they will normally be required to undergo an electrocardiogram, which monitors electrical activity within the heart and shows abnormalities when a cardiac aneurysm is present. It can also appear as a bulge on a chest x-ray, and a more accurate diagnosis will then be made using an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to 'photograph' the heart and how it functions while it beats.[citation needed]
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Left ventricular aneurysm as seen on ultrasound[3]
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Left ventricular aneurysm as seen on ultrasound[3]
Differential diagnosis
It should also not be confused with a pseudoaneurysm,[4][5] coronary artery aneurysm or a myocardial rupture (which involves a hole in the wall, not just a bulge.)
Cardiac Diverticulum
Treatment
Some people live with this type of aneurysm for many years without any specific treatment. Treatment is limited to surgery (
Blood thinning agents may be given to help reduce the likelihood of blood thickening and clots forming, along with the use of drugs to correct the irregular rhythm of the heart (seen on the electrocardiogram)[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ a b "What is an Aneurysm?". www.heart.org. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-4160-0311-3.
- ^ a b "UOTW #57 - Ultrasound of the Week". Ultrasound of the Week. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- PMID 19239694.
- PMID 9149600.
- S2CID 39142576.
- PMID 26558121.
Further reading
- Graber, J.D.; Oakley, C.M.; Pickering, B.N.; Goodwin, J.F.; Raphael, M.J.; Steiner, R.E. (1972). "Ventricular aneurysm. An appraisal of diagnosis and surgical treatment". PMID 5070115.
- Alenghat, FJ; Couper, GC; Givertz, MM (2013). "Giant left ventricular aneurysm as a late complication of inferior myocardial infarction". European Heart Journal. 24 (5): 344. PMID 23095983.