To describe briefly the clinical findings and forms of cardiac rupture To discuss the pathophysiology and outcome according to imaging findings

We reviewed the imaging findings of patients referred for suspected cardiac rupture over the last 8 years at our institution. MRI examinations included a black blood T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo sequence, cine MRI steady-state free precession sequence, and delayed contrast-enhanced MRI. It is our contention that a better definition of the anatomical characteristics of these patients with cardiac magnetic resonance would be of theoretical and practical relevance for they represent a high risk cohort. In fact, cardiac magnetic resonanceis the technique of choice to describe...

Cardiac rupture is a life-threatening event. The most common cause of myocardial rupture is a recent myocardial infarction. Other causes include cardiac trauma, endocarditis, cardiac tumorsand takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The incidence of cardiac rupture has decreased in the era of urgent revascularization and aggressive pharmacological therapy to treat acute myocardial infarction1. However, it is still a common cause of in-hospital death in STEMI. According to a recent report from the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events, myocardial rupture occurs in 0.45% of all myocardial infarctions2, but...

Cardiac rupture is an uncommon, but catastrophic event that remains difficult to diagnose. A high index of suspicion and accurate diagnostic tests are needed. There are different types of cardiac rupture according to the location and form of presentation. Cardiac MRI study is very useful to confirm the diagnosis of cardiac rupture in the subacute form.

1: Figueras J, Alcalde O, Barrabes JA, Serra V, Alguersuari J, Cortadellas J, et al. Changes in Hospital Mortality Rates in 425 Patients with Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Rupure Over a 30-Year Period. Circulation. 2008;118:2783–9 2: López-Sendón J, Gurfinkel EP, Lopez de Sa E, Agnelli G, Gore JM, Steg PG, Eagle KA, Cantador JR, Fitzgerald G, Granger CB; Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) Investigators. Factors related to heart rupture in acute coronary syndromes in the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events....

Victor Pineda, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d´Hebron Barcelona, Spain E-mail: [email protected]