Left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm: Do not make the same mistake

The differentiation between left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm and true aneurysm is sometimes difficult and there are some pitfalls in the process of making the right diagnosis. Correct diagnosis has considerable effect on the outcome and management of the patients. We report the case of 59-year-old man who referred to the emergency department with complaints of lower extremity edema and dyspnea on exertion. In his past medical history, he had been diagnosed with post-myocardial infarction and apical true aneurysm four months before his arrival at the emergency ward. The patient was under strict medical follow-up for his condition. Echocardiography was conducted in the emergency ward, and it revealed a huge apical pseudo-aneurysm, which had been miss-diagnosed in the past echocardiographic examination. We herein seek to address this issue and underscore the pitfalls in making the correct and necessary distinction between these two not so uncommon entities