Magnetic resonance imaging of the papillary muscles of the left ventricle: normal anatomy, variants, and abnormalities.

Left ventricular papillary muscles are small myocardial structures that play an important role in the functioning of mitral valve and left ventricle. Typically, there are two groups of papillary muscles, namely the anterolateral and the posteromedial groups. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a valuable imaging modality in the evaluation of papillary muscles, providing both morphological and functional information.