Annals of cardiac anaesthesia
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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is characterized by transient ventricular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease that may be triggered by an acute medical illness or intense physical or emotional stress. TCM is often confused with acute myocardial infarction given the similar electrocardiographic changes, cardiac enzymes, hemodynamic perturbations, and myocardial wall motion abnormalities. ⋯ Despite the large body of literature, there still seems to be an overall paucity in our understanding of the etiopathogenesis, clinical characteristics, natural history, and management of this syndrome, especially in the perioperative setting. This narrative review seeks to present and synthesize the most recent literature on TCM and to identify gaps in current knowledge which can become the basis for future research.