Surgical resection of a lupus-related left ventricular aneurysm in a patient with normal coronary arteries: case report

A 52-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with shortness of breath. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization demonstrated a discrete left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) with normal coronary arteries. Although her heart failure symptomatically improved with medical therapy, she suffered an embolic stroke from a thrombus within the LVA. She was treated with anticoagulation and rehabilitation for 6 weeks. Reevaluation with echocardiography demonstrated persistent depressed LV function and mural thrombus within the LVA. Surgical resection of the LVA was performed with evacuation of the thrombus and local repair of the LV.