Pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle following cardiac surgery. Report of 3 cases and review of the literature.

Three cases of pseudoaneurysms of the left ventricle after aneurysmectomy are presented. Pseudoaneurysm formation was evidently caused by infection in one case. In the 2 other cases the pathogenetic mechanism remains uncertain. Both local infection or a superimposed new myocardial infarction might have been responsible for pseudoaneurysm formation. In each instance diagnosis was suggested by one or more noninvasive techniques (echocardiography, isotopic ventriculography, CT-scanning) and confirmed by cineangiocardiography. Two patients were successfully reoperated while the third died shortly after surgery. Special attention is drawn to the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying postoperative pseudoaneurysm formation. Finally, the diagnostic value of non-invasive technique is discussed.