Acute partial papillary muscle rupture as a rare complication following non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

Abstract

Papillary muscle rupture is a life-threatening complication of acute myocardial infarction that most commonly occurs 2–7 days after the infarct. We present a rare case of acute partial anterolateral papillary muscle rupture following non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Our patient was an elderly male who had a detached anterolateral papillary muscle, which required emergent mitral valve replacement. Papillary muscle rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction, and anterolateral muscle rupture occurs even less commonly. When papillary muscle rupture is diagnosed, patients need to be emergently referred to cardiothoracic surgery as mortality without surgery is over 90% within a week.