Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal, MD

Educational Pearls:

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome,” is a temporary heart condition that can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, including troponin elevations and mimic STEMI on ECG.
The exact cause is not fully understood, but it is often triggered by severe emotional or physical stress. The stress can lead to a surge of catecholamines which affects the heart (multivessel spasm/paralysed myocardium).
The name "Takotsubo" comes from the Japanese term for a type of octopus trap, as the left ventricle takes on a distinctive shape resembling this trap during systole. The LV is dilated and part of the wall becomes akenetic. These changes can be seen on ultrasound.
The population most at risk for Takotsubo are post-menopausal women.
Coronary angiography is one of the only ways to differentiate Takotsubo from other acute coronary syndromes.
Most people with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy recover fully.

References

Amin, H. Z., Amin, L. Z., & Pradipta, A. (2020). Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Brief Review. Journal of medicine and life, 13(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.25122/jml-2018-0067
Bossone, E., Savarese, G., Ferrara, F., Citro, R., Mosca, S., Musella, F., Limongelli, G., Manfredini, R., Cittadini, A., & Perrone Filardi, P. (2013). Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: overview. Heart failure clinics, 9(2), 249–x. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hfc.2012.12.015
Dawson D. K. (2018). Acute stress-induced (takotsubo) cardiomyopathy. Heart (British Cardiac Society), 104(2), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2017-311579
Kida, K., Akashi, Y. J., Fazio, G., & Novo, S. (2010). Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Current pharmaceutical design, 16(26), 2910–2917. https://doi.org/10.2174/138161210793176509

Summarized by Jeffrey Olson MS2 | Edited by Jorge Chalit, OMSII

Episode 898: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Emergency Medical Minute