Manual massage of the heart for cardiac arrest is a dramatic event and is often lifesaving.1 In view of the circumstances under which such massage is usually performed, however, it is not too surprising that structural changes in the heart occasionally result in the form of injuries to the epicardium, myocardium, endocardium, and small vessels.2 The present report describes another kind of injury, which to the best of my knowledge has not been previously described, namely, the rupture of an atheromatous plaque of one of the coronary arteries, with subsequent occlusion and myocardial infarction.
Report of a Case
The patient was a 70-year-old woman who was subjected to surgical treatment for rectal bleeding on Nov. 25, 1958. A colostomy was successfully performed after resection of the rectal ampulla and distal portion of the sigmoid colon. Less than one hour after termination of the surgical procedure, respiration ceased and