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Hamad bin Khalifa University Press, Global Cardiology Science and Practice, 2(2013), p. 22, 2013

DOI: 10.5339/gcsp.2013.22

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Apical ballooning with mid-ventricular obstruction: the many faces of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a transient left ventricular dysfunction due to akinesia of the left-ventricular (LV) mid-apical segments (apical ballooning), which can cause severe reduction in LV systolic function. The typical clinical picture of TTC include chest pain, electrocardiographic changes consisting of mild ST-segment elevation followed by diffuse deep T-wave inversion, QTc interval prolongation and mild troponin release in the absence of significant coronary stenoses. The syndrome often affects post-menopausal women and is triggered by sympathetic overstimulation, like intense physical or emotional stress, so that it is called the “broken heart syndrome”. Although left-ventricular systolic dysfunction usually fully recovers within few days, heart failure can still complicate the early phase. We report a case of stress-induced cardiomyopathy that had full recovery after 4 weeks of follow up. The main electrocardiographic, angiographic and imaging features are discussed.