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We present the case of a 77-year-old woman who had an accidental fall in her garden, resulting in a fracture of her left ankle. After manipulation of the fracture, she developed sudden onset shortness of breath. An echo led to the diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Shortly after this she developed sudden onset receptive and expressive dysphasia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head confirmed a left parietal infarct thought to be secondary to left ventricular thrombus formation. She was started on dabigatran. A few days later, she developed abdominal pain, and was subsequently diagnosed with a spontaneous splenic rupture. This case was interesting due to the unusual chain of events following a simple fall, and also a rare complication of anticoagulant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The nature of scorpion-related cardiomyopathy is still a matter of debate where specific toxin-induced cardiomyopathy, ischemic, or catecholaminergic cardiomyopathy is advocated as well. We report two cases of Takotsubo syndrome following envenomation by Androctonus australis, bringing new evidence for the fundamental role of catecholamines in the pathogenesis of this cardiomyopathy. Case 1: A woman aged 36 presented with pulmonary edema and shock following scorpion envenomation. Echocardiography-Doppler showed a LVEF at 30%. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging showed a basal ballooning of the left and right ventricles suggestive of an inverted biventricular Takotsubo syndrome. A second CMR performed after recovery was normal. Case 2: A woman aged 45 was admitted for pulmonary edema and shock consecutive to scorpion envenomation. Echocardiography showed a LVEF at 35%. CMR showed a basal ballooning. The patient was discharged four days following admission with a normal LV function on repeat echocardiography examination. Conclusions: Cardiomyopathy in these cases, following scorpion envenomation by Androctonus australis, fulfills the criteria of Takotsubo syndrome. These observations contribute to our understanding of the mechanism, prognosis, and treatment of scorpion-related cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epinephrine is a commonly used medication for emergent conditions, such as anaphylaxis, respiratory distress, and shock. However, its versatility can also lead to iatrogenic errors in dosages, concentrations, and routes of administration. In this case, a 47-year-old female experiencing anaphylaxis received an intravenous dose of 0.3 mg (1:1000) epinephrine formulated for intramuscular injection, resulting in cardiac arrest and acute heart failure due to myocardial stunning, as diagnosed by echocardiography. Management included invasive ventilation and hemodynamic support until cardiac function recovered. This case highlights the potential dangers of epinephrine overdose, and to our knowledge, is the first reported case of iatrogenic epinephrine-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a rural area. In addition, we review the literature on iatrogenic epinephrine toxicity-associated cardiomyopathy and the epidemiology of epinephrine errors. Safety measures must be considered for improving communication in emergencies, increasing awareness via training, and changing epinephrine's antiquated packaging design., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Although Takotsubo syndrome (TS) has been long recognized, it is now more frequently identified as a cause of stress-induced cardiac injury since its first description in the 1990s. While most cases are transient, many patients can have acute and long-term effects including persistent or worsening heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiac thrombi, outflow tract obstruction, ventricular wall rupture, and cardiogenic shock. Medical optimization is necessary to prevent cardiac remodeling and disease recurrence and manage associated heart failure. The choice of medications may vary from patient to patient based on the inciting factor or the most probable cause. Anticoagulation can be added for a small period of time if there is a concern for thrombus formation from akinesia/dyskinesia. Most patients achieve early recovery and resolution of symptoms and those with persistent manifestations can be managed medically., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Shankar et al.)

Background: Takotsubo syndrome mimics an acute myocardial infarction, typically in the aftermath of mental or physical stress., Objectives: The mechanism by which emotional processing in the context of stress leads to significant cardiac injury is poorly understood, so a full exploration of brain structure and function in takotsubo syndrome patients merits investigation., Methods: Twenty-five acute (<5 days) takotsubo patients and 25 control subjects were recruited into this observational cross-sectional study. Surface-based morphometry was carried out on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans to extract cortical morphology based on volume, thickness, and surface area with the use of Freesurfer. Cortical morphology general linear models were corrected for age, sex, photoperiod, and total brain volume. Resting-state functional MRI and diffusion tensor tractography images were preprocessed and analyzed with the use of the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain Diffusion Toolbox and Functional Connectivity Toolbox., Results: There was significantly smaller total white matter and subcortical gray matter volumes in takotsubo (P < 0.001), with smaller total brain surface area but increased total cortical thickness (both P < 0.001). Individual gray matter regions (hippocampus and others) were significantly smaller in takotsubo (P < 0.001); only thalamus and insula were larger (P < 0.001). There was significant hyperfunctional and hypofunctional connectivity in multiple areas, including thalamus-amygdala-insula and basal ganglia (P < 0.05). All structural tractography connections were increased in takotsubo (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The authors showed smaller gray and white matter volumes driven by smaller cortical surface area, but increased cortical thickness and structural tractography connections with bidirectional changes in functional connectivity linked to emotion, language, reasoning, perception, and autonomic control. These are interventional targets in takotsubo patients' rehabilitation., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This work was supported by National Health Service Grampian Endowment EA9667/ES868. The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: No evidence-based therapy has yet been established for Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Given the putative harmful effects of catecholamines in patients with TTS, beta-blockers may potentially decrease the intensity of the detrimental cardiac effects in those patients., Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of beta-blocker therapy on long-term mortality and TTS recurrence., Methods: The cohort study used the national Spanish Registry on TakoTsubo Syndrome (RETAKO). A total of 970 TTS post-discharge survivors, without pheochromocytoma, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and significant bradyarrhythmias, between January 1, 2003, and July 31, 2018, were assessed. Cox regression analysis and inverse probability weighting (IPW) propensity score analysis were used to evaluate the association between beta-blocker therapy and survival free of TTS recurrence., Results: From 970 TTS patients, 582 (60.0%) received beta-blockers. During a mean follow-up of 2.5±3.3 years, there were 87 deaths (3.6 per 100 patients/year) and 29 TTS recurrences (1.2 per 100 patient/year). There was no significant difference in follow-up mortality or TTS recurrence in unadjusted and adjusted Cox analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-1.27, and 0.95, 95% CI 0.57-1.13, respectively). After weighting and adjusting by IPW, differences in one-year survival free of TTS recurrence between patients treated and untreated with beta-blockers were not found (average treatment effect -0.01, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.04; p=0.621)., Conclusions: In this observational nationwide study from Spain, there was no significant association between beta-blocker therapy and follow-up survival free of TTS recurrence., (Copyright © 2023. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a key diagnostic tool in the differential diagnosis between non-ischemic cause of cardiac chest pain. Some patients are not eligible for a gadolinium contrast-enhanced CMR; in this scenario, the diagnosis remains challenging without invasive examination. Our purpose was to derive a machine learning model integrating some non-contrast CMR parameters and demographic factors to identify Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) in subjects with cardiac chest pain., Material and Methods: Three groups of patients were retrospectively studied: TTC, acute myocarditis, and healthy controls. Global and regional left ventricular longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain (RS) analysis included were assessed. Reservoir, conduit, and booster bi-atrial functions were evaluated by tissue-tracking. Parametric mapping values were also assessed in all the patients. Five different tree-based ensemble learning algorithms were tested concerning their ability in recognizing TTC in a fully cross-validated framework., Results: The CMR-based machine learning (ML) ensemble model, by using the Extremely Randomized Trees algorithm with Elastic Net feature selection, showed a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI 78-100), specificity of 86% (95% CI 80-92) and area under the ROC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.90-0.99) in diagnosing TTC. Among non-contrast CMR parameters, the Shapley additive explanations analysis revealed that left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate were the top imaging markers in identifying TTC patients., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that using a tree-based ensemble learning algorithm on non-contrast CMR parameters and demographic factors enables the identification of subjects with TTC with good diagnostic accuracy., Translational Outlook: Our results suggest that non-contrast CMR features can be implemented in a ML model to accurately identify TTC subjects. This model could be a valuable tool for aiding in the diagnosis of subjects with a contraindication to the contrast media. Furthermore, the left atrial conduit strain and strain rate were imaging markers that had a strong impact on TTC identification. Further prospective and longitudinal studies are needed to validate these findings and assess predictive performance in different cohorts, such as those with different ethnicities, and social backgrounds and undergoing different treatments., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction and associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. We sought to evaluate the association between change in cardiac mechanics after diagnosis of TTS with 1-year incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)., Methods: We retrospectively identified 85 patients with apical TTS based on ICD 9/10 codes and chart adjudication, who had a follow-up echocardiogram within 6 months of diagnosis. Echocardiograms were analyzed for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS), GLS ratio, global circumferential strain (GCS), and global radial strain (GRS). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify parameters associated with MACE (all-cause mortality, heart failure, stroke, and coronary artery disease [CAD] requiring percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]) at 1 year. Event-free survival was assessed in patients with GLS (≤-18% vs. >18%) and LVEF (≥53% vs. <53%)., Results: Within 1 year of diagnosis, MACE occurred in 15 (18%) patients. Between baseline and follow-up echocardiogram (median 15 [range 1-151] days), there were significant differences in change in LVEF and GLS in patients with versus without incident MACE. In multivariate analysis, change in LVEF (odds ratio [OR] = .93 [.87, .98], p = .013) and change in GLS (OR = 1.32 [1.04, 1.67], p = .022) were independently associated with MACE; however, the association with change in GLS was attenuated (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13 [.94, 1.36], p = .21) after adjustment for baseline and change in LVEF. Among patients with normalized LVEF at follow-up, there were five (14.7%) MACE; whereas, there were no events among patients with normalized GLS., Conclusions: In patients with apical TTS, recovery in GLS and LVEF at follow-up was associated with significantly lower MACE at 1 year. Normalization of GLS at follow-up was better able to discriminate event-free survival than normalization of LVEF., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a syndrome characterized by transient cardiac ischemia-like symptoms, such as chest pain, increase of myocardial necrosis markers, electrocardiographic changes, and temporary left ventricular apical ballooning without significant coronary artery disease, often triggered by a particularly stressful situation. The association between Takotsubo and hip fracture surgery has been rarely reported in the literature. Presentation of case An 81-year-old woman was hospitalized with a diagnosis of right femoral neck fracture. During the surgical procedure, she displayed acute coronary symptoms a few minutes after the injection of bone cement, in the absence of coronary lesions. Due to the time relationship, bone cement implantation syndrome – not uncommon to observe – was considered in the differential diagnosis. However, the instrumental findings and the transient nature of the abnormalities guided us toward a diagnosis of Takotsubo. The treatment with Levosimendan, Amiodarone, and Metoprolol allowed gradual and satisfactory recovery of the cardiac function within a few days. The follow-up performed two and six months after surgery revealed complete cardiac recovery, and ability to walk at home comparable to the pre-fracture situation. Discussion Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is more common in women during the postmenopausal phase, especially if undergoing stressful physical or emotional stimuli. In this case, the sequence of hip fracture, pain, hospitalization, and surgery could easily be intended as a strong stressful event with high physical/psychological burden. Conclusion Despite the good prognosis associated with early recognition, Takotsubo represents a life-threatening adverse event. Considering its possible pathogenesis, a “gentle care” approach and the optimization of pain control must be pursued in elderly subjects with hip fracture, aiming at reducing the stress of the hospitalization and related procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a reversible characteristic of left ventricular (LV) ballooning on cardiac imaging without significant coronary artery disease that is precipitated by stress. We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patient records to analyze outcomes of patients with TC. Of 100 patients with TC (90% women, mean age 67.7 y, SD = 15.96), 44 patients presented to the emergency room with chest pain, biomarker elevation, and electrocardiographic changes (ST segment elevation in 47%; primary TC) and 56 patients subsequently developed TC after an alternative initial diagnosis (ST segment elevation 27%; secondary TC; P = 0.04). Inciting events differed in those with primary versus secondary TC, with 48% of primary TC patients describing emotional stress; most secondary TC (75%) manifested after a surgical procedure or infection. Average length of hospital stay for primary TC was 6.68 days (SD = 5.32, range 1-28 d) and 18.22 (SD = 20.76, range 3-129 d) for secondary TC (P < .0001). Time to resolution of LV function was equal in both groups. With regard to mortality, eight of nine deaths occurred in secondary TC patients, and all nine deaths were attributable to comorbid medical conditions. Primary TC is frequently related to emotional stress, and carries a benign prognosis. Secondary TC is associated with an acute medical condition and results in a higher death rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 57-year-old woman presented with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which later progressed to delirium tremens. During hospitalization, she developed respiratory distress with acute pulmonary edema. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed diffuse ST elevation with elevated cardiac enzymes. Echocardiogram showed estimated ejection fraction of 20-25% with characteristic apical ballooning. After several days of supportive care, the patient showed significant clinical improvement with normalization of ECG, cardiac enzymes, and echocardiographic findings. Coronary angiogram revealed no coronary abnormalities. Although Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been associated with diverse forms of physical or emotional stress, only a few cases have been described with delirium tremens in the medical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumo Justificativa e objetivos A cardiomiopatia de takotsubo, também conhecida como síndrome do coração partido, é uma cardiomiopatia induzida por estresse que pode ser interpretada como uma síndrome coronária aguda, pois cursa com alterações eletrocardiográficas sugestivas. O objetivo do presente artigo é mostrar a importância de uma monitoração adequada no intraoperatório, assim como a presença de uma equipe interdisciplinar para o diagnóstico da síndrome. Relato de caso Doente masculino, 66 anos, com o diagnóstico de carcinoma gástrico, proposto para laparoscopia diagnóstica e possível gastrectomia. No intraoperatório durante a laparoscopia manteve sempre estabilidade hemodinâmica, porém após a conversão para cirurgia aberta apresentou elevação do segmento ST em DII e foi feito um ECG no intraoperatório que confirmou supradesnivelamento do segmento ST em parede inferior. Foi contactada a equipe de cardiologia, que indicou cateterismo de urgência. Como a cirurgia ainda não havia iniciado passos irreversíveis, optou‐se pelo encerramento da laparotomia e o doente foi levado imediatamente para a sala de hemodinâmica. Foi feito cateterismo que não evidenciou lesão nas coronárias. O doente foi levado para o internamento, onde foi feito um ecocardiograma que mostrava disfunção sistólica ligeira a moderada, com acinésia dos segmentos médio‐apicais, imagem sugestiva de balonamento apical do ventrículo esquerdo. Diante de tal achado ecocardiográfico e na ausência de lesões coronárias, foi diagnosticada síndrome de takotsubo intraoperatória. Conclusão Devido ao fato de o doente estar monitorado de uma forma adequada foi possível a detecção precoce do supradesnivelamento do segmento ST. A presença de uma equipe interdisciplinar favoreceu o diagnóstico precoce da síndrome. Dessa forma o doente foi novamente intervencionado de forma segura e foram tomadas as devidas medidas de segurança, para que a nova intervenção cirúrgica transcorresse sem intercorrências. Background and objectives Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome is a stress‐induced cardiomyopathy, which can be interpreted as an acute coronary syndrome as it progresses with suggestive electrocardiographic changes. The purpose of this article is to show the importance of proper monitoring during surgery, as well as the presence of an interdisciplinary team to diagnose the syndrome. Case report Male patient, 66 years old, with diagnosis of gastric carcinoma, scheduled for diagnostic laparoscopy and possible gastrectomy. In the intraoperative period during laparoscopy, the patient always remained hemodynamically stable, but after conversion to open surgery he presented with ST segment elevation in DII. ECG during surgery was performed and confirmed ST‐segment elevation in the inferior wall. The cardiology team was contacted and indicated the emergency catheterization. As the surgery had not yet begun irreversible steps, we opted for the laparotomy closure, and the patient was immediately taken to the hemodynamic room where catheterization was performed showing no coronary injury. The patient was taken to the hospital room where an echocardiogram was performed and showed slight to moderate systolic dysfunction, with akinesia of the mid‐apical segments, suggestive of apical ballooning of the left ventricle. Faced with such echocardiographic finding and in the absence of coronary injury, the patient was diagnosed with intraoperative Takotsubo syndrome. Conclusion Because the patient was properly monitored, the early detection of ST‐segment elevation was possible. The presence of an interdisciplinary team favored the syndrome early diagnosis, so the patient was again submitted to safely intervention, with the necessary security measures taken for an uneventful new surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since almost 20 y it is known that seizures may trigger Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Since then it has been repeatedly proposed that TTS could be the cause of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). A review of the so far reported cases of seizure-triggered TTS was carried out to see how often seizure-triggered TTS is fatal. Altogether 59 papers were identified which reported altogether 74 patients with seizure-triggered TTS. Age was reported in 70 patients and ranged from 18 to 82 y. Gender was reported in 70 cases and was female in 60 cases (86%). The type of triggering seizure was reported in 47 cases. In 28 patients (60%) the trigger was a generalized tonic clonic seizure, in 15 cases (32%) a generalized status epilepticus, and in 3 cases a complex partial seizure. The outcome was mentioned in 63 of the 74 patients. Full recovery was reported in 61 cases (97%), incomplete recovery in none of the patients, and a fatal outcome in 2 patients (3%). Fatalities are rare in patients experiencing seizure-triggered TTS. This is why seizure-triggered TTS does not seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis of SUDEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible electrocardiographic (ECG) repolarization changes including T-wave inversions (TWI), large upright peaked T-waves (LUPTW) and prolongation of the corrected QT interval (P-QTc) have been reported in association with myriads of acute cardiac and non-cardiac diseases. Through the last 70 years, the TWIs have been described under different terms as; cerebral, giant, global, canyon, Wellens or coronary and cardiac memory T waves. During the last 15 years, the reversible TWI and LUPTW in association with P-QTc have been described as characteristic ECG features in takotsubo syndrome (TS), which also may be triggered by the same aforementioned acute cardiac and non-cardiac disease entities. The pathogenesis of these reversible T-wave changes is not clear-cut. In this manuscript, substantial evidences for a causal link between the local cardiac sympathetic disruption and the development of the reversible TWI and LUPTW are presented. As a result, a pathogenetic term for the reversible TWI or LUPTW, which is sympathetic T waves (sympathetic TWI or sympathetic LUPTW), would be the most appropriate term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is a transient non-ischemic cardiomyopathy usually characterized by apical ballooning of the left ventricle, with electrocardiographic changes and enzyme release, without evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Typically seen in stress induced situations, in post-menopausal females, this condition may have a predilection for patients with dependency disorders. Case The following is a case in which Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy was induced by withdrawal from opiate medications. Followed by resolution of symptoms after restarting maintenance opioid therapy. Discussion We feel health care professionals should be aware of this possibility in such a patient population especially when they have demonstrated cardiovascular symptomatology. Given the prevalence of opiate use both recreational and iatrogenic, the index of suspicion for opiate-withdrawal induced cardiomyopathy should be high in the presence of cardiac symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating cardiodepressant factors were found to mediate cardiac dysfunction in patients with sepsis and acute systolic heart failure. To investigate the presence of circulating cardiodepressant factors in patients with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TC), plasma samples were collected from 4 patients with TC, 3 with septic shock, 5 with acute systolic heart failure and 4 healthy controls and injected intraperitoneally in mice. The cardiodepressant effects are measured with transthoracic echocardiography. Plasma injection from control and TC subjects had no effects on left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) whereas plasma from the other two groups induced a significant reduction in LVEF. At difference than sepsis and acute heart failure, TC is not characterized by the presence of soluble cardiodepressant factors. Myocardial dysfunction in TC may be mediated by a neurocardiogenic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

An acute, transient episode of left ventricular dysfunction characterizes Takotsubo syndrome. It represents about 2% of all cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and occurs predominantly in postmenopausal women, generally following a significant physical or emotional stressor. It can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and the absence of coronary artery disease on angiography. Ventriculography remains the gold standard for the diagnosis. Despite its transitory characteristic Takotsubo syndrome should not be considered a benign condition since complications occur in almost half of the patients, and the mortality rate reaches 4-5%. Lately, it has been revealed that Takotsubo syndrome can also lead to permanent myocardial damage due to the massive release of catecholamines that leads to myocardial dysfunction. Different mechanisms have been advanced to explain this fascinating syndrome, such as plaque rupture and thrombosis, coronary spasm, microcirculatory dysfunction, catecholamine toxicity, and activation of myocardial survival pathways. Here are still several issues with Takotsubo syndrome that need to be investigated: the complex relationship between the heart and the brain, the risk of permanent myocardial damage, and the impairment of cardiomyocyte. Our review aims to elucidate the pathophysiology and the mechanisms underlying this complex disease to manage the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms to create a functional synergy between physicians and patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Giuseppe Sangiorgi is serving as one of the Editorial Board members of this journal. We declare that Giuseppe Sangiorgi had no involvement in the peer review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to Jerome L. Fleg., (Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

There is increasing evidence that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy behaves more like a highly variable and dangerous syndrome than an isolated cardiomyopathy. In this case report, we describe a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicated by complete heart block. We discuss the potential mechanisms for its etiology and examine the need for pacemaker placement.