Spontaneous mechanical rupture of a papillary muscle effectively resolved by mitral valve repair.

We report a case of spontaneous mechanical papillary muscle rupture. In theory, the papillary muscle works as a shock absorber that compensates for geometric changes of left ventricular wall. We believe that the aetiology of papillary muscle rupture, in this case, is linked to the physical and mechanical strains exerted on the papillary. We performed a mitral valve repair with excellent short- and long-term results.