[Stress-induced transient left ventricular apical ballooning].
Transient left ventricular apical ballooning is a quite rare clinical event mostly described in the Japanese population. It is also known as tako-tsubo-like syndrome due to the peculiar shape on endsystolic left ventriculogram which is like a tako-tsubo, an ancient device used for trapping octopuses in the Japanese sea. The clinical features of this cardiomyopathy, which mimicked an acute coronary syndrome in an Italian 78-year-old man, are described. Acute left ventricular dysfunction with the typical left ventriculogram and normal epicardial coronary arteries followed an acute emotional and physical stress: the patient felt off his boat, while lifted well up above the water of a great Italian lake during routinary servicing, with consequent chest and head traumas. The combination of emotional and physical stress with the dive in the lake cold water could have caused a brisk and marked increase in catecholamines with possible direct myocardial injury. The occurrence of a rare case of a Japanese cardiomyopathy, also mentioned by a device used in sea-fishing, in an Italian patient following an accidental dive in a lake, appears at least peculiar.
Sganzerla
Paolo
P
U.O. di Cardiologia, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo. paolo.sganzerla@gavazzeni.it
Perlasca
Elena
E
Passaretti
Bruno
B
Tavasci
Emanuela
E
Savasta
Carlo
C
D000368:Aged; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*