Interventricular Septum Rupture due to Blunt Chest Trauma: A Case Report.

Korean J Leg Med. 1999 Oct;23(2):93-95. Korean.

Department of Forensic Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine Taegu, Korea, Korea.

Blunt chest trauma may cause a variety of cardiac injuries, such as cardiac contusion, congestive heart failure due to myocardial injury or disruption of intracardiac structures, and more severely, instantaneous death. Traumatic rupture of the interventricular septum secondary to blunt chest trauma is extremely rare. Rupture of the interventricular septum may occur almost immediately after injury or many days later. The most common site of rupture is in the muscular portion of the septum near the apex. The exact mechanism of ventricular septal rupture in blunt trauma is unknown but it is thought to occur by external compression of the heart between the sternum and the vertebrae or as a result of extreme changes in intrathoracic pressure during sudden deceleration. We report an autopsy case of intraventricular septum rupture due to blunt chest trauma. A comatous 28-year-old male was admitted to emergency room after blunt chest trauma by unidentified object. He was treated with supportive care but expired two days later. The autopsy findings were as follows. The dead boy was slightly slender. External wound and patterned bruise were not present. In submentopubic incision, both pleural fluid (right 700ml, left 450ml) and ascites (400ml) were noted. The posterior wall of left ventricle showed hemorrhage measuring 1cm in diameter. On opening the heart, there was interventricular septum rupture measuring 3.5cm in length. Other cardiac structures were unremarkable. On light microscopic examination, endothelial cell was not seen in ruptured portion and both lung showed severe congestion and edema.

Key words: Interventricular septum rupture, blunt chest trauma