Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm After Mitral Valve Replacement

Abstract

Introduction: Left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysms due to late rupture after mitral valve replacement (MVR) are very rare. Surgical management of LV pseudoaneurysms is inevitable because of their potential risk of enlargement and rupture. Case Presentation: A 53-year-old woman was referred to our echocardiography lab because of exertional dyspnea. She had recently undergone MVR and had an uneventful in-hospital course. Echocardiographic study revealed an LV pseudoaneurysm, just below the annulus in the left atrioventricular groove. She refused repeated surgery at this stage. Conclusions: Rupture of the LV wall after MVR could be a fatal complication. Echocardiography is the most widely used method for the diagnosis of LV pseudoaneurysms. Cardiologists should be aware of this complication and consider it while assessing MVR cases.