Successful surgical treatment of delayed left ventricular pseudoaneurysm related to Candida albicans infection after repair of ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication after postinfarction repair of ventricular septal rupture (VSR), and surgical treatment of this condition due to mycosis has rarely been reported. We report a rare case of successful surgical treatment of delayed LV pseudoaneurysm related to Candida albicans infection after repair of VSR due to myocardial infarction. A 75-year-old woman was admitted for fever and severe inflammatory reaction. Two and a half years previously, she had undergone postinfarct VSR repair and was treated for mycotic infective endocarditis due to C. albicans. Transthoracic echocardiography and computed tomography revealed a LV pseudoaneurysm (maximum transverse diameter 6.2 cm). The cause of the LV pseudoaneurysm was suspected to be infectious, and broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment was started. Fourteen days after admission, she developed acute abdominal pain and an elevated β-D-glucan level because the LV pseudoaneurysm ruptured. Emergency surgical treatment was performed with antimycotic drug therapy. The LV wall defect was reconstructed using bovine pericardium under cardiopulmonary support. Her postoperative course was good, and she was discharged to home. Echocardiography revealed no recurrence of the LV pseudoaneurysm at 4 months postoperatively. During 1 year of follow-up, the patient had been doing well without any infection or adverse event.<Learning objective: The development of a left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm after repair of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is rare, and the cause of this condition is often unknown. Moreover, LV pseudoaneurysm due to mycosis has rarely been reported and is thought to have a poor prognosis. We report a rare case of successful surgical treatment of delayed LV pseudoaneurysm related to Candida albicans infection after repair of VSR complicating acute myocardial infarction.>