Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy—The Role of Physical and Emotional Stressors: Two Case Report

Patrícia Margarida Serra Carvalho, Jandira Helena Lima, João Bernardo Cunha, Patrícia Glória Dinis Dias, José Gonçalo Diniz Vieira, José Manuel Nascimento Costa

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Internal Medicine Ward, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal..

DOI: 10.4236/ijcm.2012.32029                

Abstract

Introduction: Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy describes a form of acute and reversible left ventricular dysfunction with a clinical presentation, ECG and cardiac biomarkers that makes it indistinguishable from acute coronary syndrome. Case Presentation: The authors present two cases of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal women, the first case following an emotional stressful event and a second case following a blood transfusion and probably associated with intravenous catecholamine perfusion. Both had unobstructed coronary arteries and regional wall-motion abnormalities typical of this syndrome. Conclusions: Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is a condition often misdiagnosed. A clinical presentation suggestive of acute coronary syndrome in a postmenopausal woman without history of coronary disease and in whom a precipitating stressful event can be found should lead the physician to suspect the diagnosis of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy. This syndrome associated with blood transfusion has rarely been described.

Keywords

Tako-Tsubo; Left Ventricle; Postmenopausal; Stress

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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