Rupture of the Interventricular Septum Diagnosed Ante Mortem

Rupture of the interventricular septum is not a common occurrence. Edmondson and Hoxie1in 25,000 consecutive autopsies found only 13 cases, of which three had been diagnosed prior to death. Diaz-Rivera and Miller2on reviewing the literature found a total of 37 cases reported up to November, 1946. Of these, seven had been diagnosed ante mortem, including the case they reported. Two cases not included in this series are reported by Freeman and Griffen.3Neither was diagnosed ante mortem. This unusual condition has also attracted the attention of other clinicians.4 REPORT OF A CASE A white man, aged 54, entered the Evanston Hospital Feb. 13, 1950. He had had no preceding difficulty and felt well until the evening of admission. He had a Martini cocktail before dinner, and 25 minutes after dinner went out to shovel snow for about 15 minutes, stopping because he was through