Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: a benign condition or a bad omen?

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), also known as “stress cardiomyopathy”
or “broken heart syndrome,” is a transient disorder,
typically following an acute emotional or physical stress,
mimicking an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with
TC complain of chest pain and show electrocardiogram
dynamic changes such as ST-segment elevation or negative T
waves with a mild increase in cardiac biomarkers and absence
of significant coronary artery involvement. Left ventricular
(LV) wall motion abnormalities in TC are typically akinesia
or hypokinesia of apical segments (apical balloon-like dilation
pattern) associated with hyperkinesia of the basal segments.1-3
Echocardiography plays a key role in the diagnosis, allowing
direct visualization of the typical apical ballooning pattern, and
it is considered specific. New technologies, such as speckle
tracking echocardiography, are useful.4-7 Despite the fact that
these findings are unlikely in ACS, coronary angiography is
needed to rule out myocardial infarction.1-3