Left ventricular free wall rupture associated with a combination of acute myocardial infarction and stress-provoked cardiomyopathy: An autopsy case

SummaryA 74-year-old female was admitted to our hospital due to prolonged chest pain that had lasted about 2 h. An electrocardiogram revealed ST-elevation in leads I, aVL, and V3-6, with an increase in myocardial necrosis markers. Emergency coronary angiography was performed, and left ventriculography showed the typical features of apical ballooning, and so a diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) was made. On the 10th day after admission, the patient suddenly went into cardiopulmonary arrest because of a blow-out type left ventricular (LV) free wall rupture. Despite extensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the patient died. The autopsy revealed hemopericardium and a perforating wound located in the anterior wall of the LV. It was revealed that the diagonal branch of the coronary artery was occluded, and so a diagnosis of TC coexisting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was made. No previous case of TC accompanied by AMI has been reported. We present its clinical course during hospitalization and the result of a histopathologic examination.