A case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy: transient left ventricular apical ballooning

KCH Lau, KKH Yiu, KL Lee, RLY Ko, YM Lam, L Lam, SWL Lee
Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

A 78-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with central chest pain and the electrocardiographic and cardiac marker changes typical of acute anterior myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography revealed normal epicardial coronary arteries, and left ventriculography showed apical akinesis as well as basal hyperkinesis. This is a case of transient left ventricular apical ballooning or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, possibly attributable to catecholamine-mediated myocardial stunning.

Hong Kong Med J 2006;12:388-90

Key words: Cardiomyoppathies; Catecholamines, Myocardial infarction; Ventricular dysfunction, left