Diagnosis of cardiac rupture with the use of contrast-enhanced echocardiography.

We describe 3 patients with suspected subacute cardiac rupture in whom contrast-enhanced echocardiography played a key role in the diagnosis. In 2 patients, extravasation of the contrast material into the extracardiac space provided direct evidence of subacute cardiac rupture. Absence of this feature helped to exclude cardiac rupture with active hemorrhage into the pericardial space in the third patient. These 3 cases illustrate the safety and applicability of contrast echocardiography in patients with suspected cardiac rupture.