[Apropos of a case of rupture of a posterobasal aneurysm of the left ventricle studied by echocardiography].

A 40-year old male patient developed inferior myocardial infarction followed by two rare mechanical complications: rupture of the posterior papillary muscle of the mitral valve, which was successfully repaired, and, a few months later, rupture of an early postero-basal aneurysm which proved lethal. On both occasions the diagnosis was provided by echocardiography. The broken aneurysmal area was visualized as being abnormally mobile. This case offers several interesting points. To our knowledge, the association of these two uncommon complications has not yet been reported; the early development of the aneurysm, its location and its course are unusual, and direct echocardiographic visualization of rupture of the heart is exceptional, hence the value of this exploratory method.