Ventricular septal rupture following nonsurgical septal reduction for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: treatment with percutaneous closure.

An 82-year-old woman with severe symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy undergoes nonsurgical septal reduction, leading to immediate hemodynamic and functional improvement. Five weeks later, she presents with severe biventricular failure due to a large septal rupture with marked left-to-right shunting. The rupture is closed with an Amplatzer post-MI ventricular septal defect occluding device. Residual shunting through the device and a small residual shunt at its superior rim lead to severe hemolysis, which resolves spontaneously after 10 days of supportive therapy. A further self-limiting episode of hemolysis recurred 3 months later following a period of excessive anticoagulation. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.