Proceedings of the Western Pharmacology Society
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Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. · Jan 2008
Review Case ReportsTakotsubo cardiomyopathy: case report and review of the literature.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as stress induced cardiomyopathy and transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, is a rare syndrome that is characterized by a transient decrease in ejection fraction. This is accompanied by hypokinesis of the left ventricle and ballooning of the apex, with hypercontractile base and non-obstructive coronary artery disease. Takotsubo was first described in Japan in the early 1990's. ⋯ Clinical symptoms are accompanied by transient left ventricular dysfunction. Despite clinical symptoms consistent with acute myocardial infarction, normal coronary arteries are usually detected upon cardiac catheterization. The case presented here is of an Asian woman who developed symptoms of acute myocardial infarction during a stressful hospital stay.