DISAPPEARANCE OF A LEFT-VENTRICULAR ANEURYSM ON RADIONUCLIDE VENTRICULOGRAPHY DUE TO FORMATION OF A MURAL THROMBUS

Radionuclide ventriculography is an accepted method for diagnosing lef t ventricular aneurysms, but false-negative studies have been associat ed with a mural thrombus filling the left ventricular cavity. We descr ibe a patient with a left ventricular aneurysm due to myocardial infar ction whose aneurysm scintigraphically ''disappeared'' from serial rad ionuclide ventriculograms. This was documented echocardiographically a nd pathologically to be due to the formation of a large mural thrombus . Review of the literature suggests that radionuclide ventriculography and echocardiography may be complementary techniques in the diagnosis of left ventricular aneurysm. Echocardiography may remain diagnostic when a mural thrombus has caused the loss of the characteristic scinti graphic findings on radionuclide ven triculography.