CVS Practice Test 2025 – The All-In-One Guide to Exam Success!

Papillary muscle dysfunction is a significant complication that can occur after a myocardial infarction, particularly when the infarction affects the area of the heart that supplies blood to the papillary muscles. These muscles are attached to the heart's valves via chordae tendineae and play a crucial role in maintaining valve closure during ventricular contraction.

When the blood supply to the papillary muscles is compromised due to myocardial infarction, it can lead to the weakening or rupture of these muscles. This impairment prevents the mitral valve from closing properly during systole, resulting in backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium. This condition is known as mitral regurgitation.

Mitral regurgitation can lead to a variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, and heart palpitations. It can also result in volume overload of the heart, which can progress to heart failure if not addressed.

In contrast to the other conditions mentioned, such as aortic regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, and pulmonary stenosis, these are not directly caused by papillary muscle dysfunction post-myocardial infarction. Each of these conditions has its own etiologies that do not primarily involve the function of the pap