A case of an 81-year-old woman with ‘broken-heart syndrome’ after a house fire

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a transient cardiomyopathy predominantly characterized byleft ventricular hypokinesis and wall motion abnormalities, usually apical ballooning during thesystolic phase of heart contraction. The clinical presentation may closely mimic acute coronarysyndrome. The majority of the cases are diagnosed in post-menopausal Caucasian women.The exact mechanism of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is unknown. To avoid complications andmortality, early diagnosis and treatment are important.