Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma (IDH) is a rare complication of myocardial infarction, with very scarce reports in medical literature. Before the advent of non-invasive imaging techniques, the diagnosis of IDH was only made by necropsy. It can develop in the left ventricular free wall, the right ventricle, or the interventricular septum. We present a case of a patient with an IDH after acute anterolateral myocardial infarction, focusing on the utility of echocardiography in the diagnosis and follow-up of this unusual complication. By this imaging modality, it was possible to see the various acoustic densities of the progressive clotting of the intramyocardial haematoma, its extension through the haemorrhagic dissection, as well as its independency in relation to ventricular cavities and extracardiac space by confirming intact epicardial and endocardial layers. Based on this report, we believe that serial two-dimensional echocardiography, added, when necessary, by the use of contrast agents is the non-invasive method ideally suited to confirm the diagnosis and monitor its evolution at the patient's bedside.

Introduction We investigated the clinical course and outcomes of patients submitted to cardiovascular surgery in Brazil and who had developed symptoms/signs of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the perioperative period. Methods A retrospective multicenter study including 104 patients who were allocated in three groups according to time of positive real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2): group 1, patients who underwent cardiac surgery > 10 days after positive RT-PCR; group 2, patients with a positive RT-PCR within 10 days before or after surgery; group 3, patients who presented positive RT-PCR > 10 days after surgery. The primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and postoperative days of hospitalization. Results The three groups were similar with respect to age, the European System of Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score, and comorbidities, except hypertension. Postoperative complications and death were significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1, and no significant difference between groups 2 and 3 was seen. Group 2 showed a high prevalence of surgery performed as an urgent procedure. Although no significant differences were observed in ICU length of stay, total postoperative hospitalization time was significantly higher in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2. Conclusion COVID-19 affecting the postoperative period of patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery is associated with a higher rate of morbidity and mortality. Delaying procedures in RT-PCR-positive patients may help reduce risks of perioperative complications and death.

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In patients with STEMI treated with MTA, PostCon offered no benefits to infarct size, LVEF, or major cardiac events.