The clinical utility of transesophageal echocardiography in ischemic papillary muscle rupture.

Ischemic papillary muscle rupture is a potentially lethal complication of myocardial infarction. Acute mitral regurgitation, shock with pulmonary edema, may ensue as its result. Transthoracic echocardiography is the initial noninvasive tool used to confirm the diagnosis. Transesophageal echocardiography has overcome some of the limitations of transthoracic imaging, permitting timely surgical management of these critically ill patients.