CARDIAC aneurysm occurs as an important sequela in approximately 9 per cent of patients with coronary artery thrombosis and myocardial infarction.1 As a clinical entity it has become well recognized and certain physical signs2 and radiologic3 and even electrocardiographic4 data have been proposed as criteria and, in general, fairly well accepted.
There are, however, other lesser known causes of cardiac aneurysm, such as focal gummatous syphilitic myocarditis, mycotic emboli to the cardiac wall, trauma and rheumatic carditis. Even rarer than these causative types are diseases due to congenital developmental defects, of which three types have been described.
The first type of aneurysm due to congenital defects of the heart was described by Abbott5 as "diverticulum of the heart." The total incidence of this type of anomaly was 4 cases, of which Abbott analyzed 2. One occurred in a 2½ month old girl with congenital syphilis