Description
The left ventricle of the heart has been opened to display marked thinning of the wall, with healing
infarction extending almost from apex to base. The age of the infarct has not been established, but
one suspects that it is probably at least a month old. Externally, there is fibrinous pericarditis over
the infarcted area.
History
This woman was admitted to hospital in June 1978 in cardiac failure. On 27th July, she
fell out of bed and dislocated her shoulder; this was reduced on 31st July but she died within 12
hours of the procedure. The heart weighed 630 g. The pericardium was adherent to the anterior
surface of the left ventricle. There was an infarct in the lower lobe of the right lung.