Randolph M. Setser1, Melanie S. Kotys2, Thananya Boonyasirinant1, Scott D. Flamm1
1Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; 2Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA
Papillary muscle (PM) function is intrinsically linked with global left ventricular (LV) function and helps to maintain LV shape. This study evaluated PM strain in healthy volunteers (n=7) and patients (n=2) using MRI with tissue tagging. Strain was -214% in the anterior PM and -204% in the posterior PM (NS). However, strain was significantly greater in the anterior PM than in the adjacent LV wall (p=0.02). These results are consistent with previous studies. It is feasible to measure strain reliably in patients using tagged MRI. Furthermore, this study provides a basis for evaluating patients in whom PM function might be impaired.