European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care
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Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care · Apr 2018
Case ReportsPostoperative takotsubo cardiomyopathy: an illustration of the electrocardiographic features that raise suspicion for takotsubo.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an increasingly recognized clinical disorder mimicking acute coronary syndrome. It is usually preceded by physical or emotional stress and recovery of the left ventricular systolic function occurs in most cases within 1-4 weeks. Takotsubo cardiomypathy can masquerade as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction when chest pain, ST-segment elevation, and high cardiac biomarkers coexist. ⋯ Awareness of these electrocardiographic features has several diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Nevertheless, these electrocardiographic criteria alone cannot reliably differentiate between both entities, and the diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is only established after coronary angiography confirms the absence of occlusive coronary artery disease and the characteristic apical ballooning is evident on left ventriculogram (in the case of the apical form). Herein, we present a case of postoperative takotsubo cardiomyopathy and discuss the various electrocardiographic features that raise suspicion for this transient cardiac syndrome.