Traumatic rupture of a papillary muscle of the heart. Report of a case.

Grand Rapids, Michigan RUPTURE OF A PAPILLARY MUSCLE OF the heart is a rarely recorded event. Most cases arc secondary to myocardial infarction. We recently encountered a case in which the mptum was secondary to trauma, and we fed that it is worthy of presentation. If the diagnosis can be made rapidly, this is a potentially comctablc lesion. CASE REPOPT A 22-year-old white man was admitted to Blodgett Memorial Hospital emergency rwm at 10 a.m. on January 4. 1962. Three houm earlier. he was injured in an accident in which he was hit broadside while driving his car. He m unconscious for a brief period of time and was then taken to a local hospital for emergency care. His blood prmure there was unobtainable, and he experienced hemoptysis and hematemesis totaling 500 ml. After receiving D u t n n 500 ml. and hydrocortiane 100 mg., his blood prusure mse to IW/mmHg, and he was t r an r f e d to this institution.