Incidental detection of myocardial clefts in a patient with acute inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a very unusual and potentially ominous association—a case-report

The crescent availability of high-resolution cardiac imaging allows detection of myocardial structural variations. Differentiate these entities from others with different clinical significance can be challenging. Clinicians should be familiar with myocardial clefts to avoid erroneous diagnosis.

A 63-year-old smoker man alerted the emergency medical system for sudden chest pain. The electrocardiogram showed Pardee wave in inferior leads. Coronary angiography evidenced a 100% occlusion of right coronary artery that was treated by angioplasty and drug-eluting stent implantation with optimal angiographic result. At ventriculography, two fissure-like protrusion were observed in the inferior wall. Urgent transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) demonstrated two deep fissures on the mid-inferior wall, contained by a thin sub-epicardial layer, with sub-total obliteration during systole. A diagnosis of myocardial clefts was suspected and after Heart Team discussion, a conservative strategy was proposed. Early cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) confirmed two myocardial crypts on the mid-inferior wall. Stability of myocardial fissures and absence of left ventricular remodelling was confirmed by TTE, in a 2 years of follow-up period.

Myocardial cleft should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of myocardial wall defects. In a patient presenting with an acute myocardial infarction, the main differential diagnosis is pseudoaneurysm. In this setting modified TTE views and meticulous analysis of CMR sequences are recommended to confirm the diagnosis and estimate the risk of myocardial rupture.