Papillary muscle rupture following acute myocardial infarction: Anatomic, echocardiographic, and surgical insights.

Papillary muscle (PM) rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction which carries an excessive mortality rate. Optimal outcomes require rapid diagnosis and prompt surgical referral, and in this regard, echocardiography plays a crucial role. Comprehensive echocardiographic examination of the patient with PM rupture consists of identification of the ruptured PM segment, visualization of flail mitral valve segment(s), evaluation of mitral regurgitation severity, and assessment of left ventricular systolic function. This article discusses anatomic and echocardiographic features as well as the surgical management of PM rupture.

Anatomy of the septomarginal trabecula in Landrace pig hearts.

The limitations on the availability of organs for transplantation have aroused interest in research on xenotransplantation of whole organs or certain parts of them. Thus, studies that confirm or reject similarities between the organs of different animals have started to have important clinical applications. In the present study, we investigated the septomarginal trabecula in 34 hearts from Landrace pigs with the aim of observing their similarities with the septomarginal trabecula in humans. In pigs, the muscle bundle of the septomarginal trabecula and the right branch of the stimulating complex are dissociated. The right branch is a narrow bridge that, after going out from the upper part of the interventricular septum, is attached to the upper part of the anterior papillary muscle. On the other hand, the muscle bundle of the septomarginal trabecula is generally a resistant crest that goes from the lower part of the septum to the lower part of the anterior papillary muscle. The septomarginal trabecula presents marked anatomical differences between humans and pigs.