• Federico Migliore, Claudio Bilato, Gianbattista Isabella, Sabino Iliceto, and Giuseppe Tarantini.
• Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Policlinico Universitario, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy. federico.migliore@libero.it
• Eur. J. Heart Fail. 2010 Mar 1;12(3):305-8.

AbstractTakotsubo syndrome, also called apical ballooning syndrome, is a clinical entity characterized by transient hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis of the left ventricular mid-segments with or without apical involvement, and without obstructive coronary lesions. The contemporary presence of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet, and acute mitral regurgitation might explain the worsening of the heart failure or the occurrence of cardiogenic shock in some patients with apical ballooning syndrome. The use of beta-blockers should improve the LVOTO gradient by reducing basal hypercontractility, increasing left ventricular filling and size, and reducing heart rate. However, clear evidence of the direct haemodynamic effects of beta-blockers is still lacking. We present a case of apical ballooning syndrome complicated by dynamic LVOTO, treated with metoprolol.

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