unusual diagnosis for chest pain - Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a case report

ABSTRACT

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy or Stress Cardiomyopathy is non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy which mimics acute coronary syndrome [ACS]. It is becoming an increasingly reported condition, accounting for approximately 2% of all suspected cases of ACS. It is a well-recognized cause of acute heart failure, lethal ventricular arrhythmias, and ventricular rupture. Herein, we describe a patient who exhibited this syndrome and we review the existing literature on this condition and its associations. The case is about a 35 year old female who developed severe chest pain one hour following a normal vaginal deliver of twin babies. In view of her electrocardiogram and cardiac biomarkers, she was immediately diagnosed and managed as a case of ACS. But her subsequent investigations revealed a diagnosis of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Her coronary angiography was normal and her echocardiogram which initially showed significant LV dysfunction improved drastically within a few weeks