What is a ventricular aneurysm?

There are many heart diseases clinically, and ventricular aneurysm is only one of them. Many people have great misunderstandings about ventricular aneurysm and do not have a deep understanding of it. Most people think it is a type of tumor. Strictly speaking, these are two completely different concepts.

1. Cardiac ventricular aneurysm is not a tumor. Speaking of "tumor", people always think of "tumor", which is not surprising. Since it involves "tumor", people often try to distinguish between benign and malignant tumors. Therefore, people's habitual thinking is that when they see the word "tumor", they think of "tumor" and "malignant tumor". However, although tumors (such as myxomas or sarcomas) can grow in the heart, cardiac ventricular aneurysm is a completely different concept. It is by no means a true tumor caused by mutation or abnormality of cardiac tissue cells.

2. In severe cases of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction occurs and the myocardial tissue at the infarct site is gradually replaced by fibrous scar tissue, which loses its normal contraction ability. Under the action of heart contraction and cardiac cavity pressure, the tissue at the fibrotic site becomes thinner and bulges outward (abnormal movement). This part of tissue that has lost its function is prominent in appearance, and is similar to a bulging tumor both in terms of imaging and anatomy, so it is called a ventricular aneurysm. Therefore, it can be said that ventricular aneurysm is an extremely serious complication of coronary heart disease.

3. Most ventricular aneurysms occur in the left ventricle, and are clinically divided into true and false. True ventricular aneurysm: The wall is thin, the myocardial tissue of the ventricular wall is replaced by scar tissue, the regional movement is reduced or disappeared, the endocardium loses its trabecular structure or mural thrombus formation may occur. Pseudoaneurysm: It is usually caused by rupture of the ventricular free wall, and is a pathological process of chronic or subacute ventricular rupture.