Traumatic mitral insufficiency complicating blunt chest trauma treated medically: A case report and review

Cardiac injury is the most common unsuspected visceral injury responsible for death in fatally injured accident victims (1). Cardiac involvement occurs in 6% to 76% of cases of blunt trauma, and can result in a wide spectrum of clinical problems (1, 2). Complete papillary muscle rupture following blunt chest trauma has been reported (3,4), and surgical mitral valve replacement most often has been the therapy for patients surviving traumatic mitral insufficiency.We report a case of traumatic mitral regurgitation following blunt chest trauma in a young male. Severe mitral insufficiency, secondary to isolated partial avulsion of the anterolateral papillary muscle, was treated medically with subsequent healing of the papillary muscle and total resolution of mitral regurgitation. Serial transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms were useful in the management of this patient.