title: Tako-tsubo: a transitory impairment of microcirculation? A case report.
abstract: The tako-tsubo syndrome, or transient left ventricular apical ballooning, has been widely described in Japan as a cardiomyopathy which resembles acute myocardial infarction on presentation, but characterized by a normal coronary tree and a favorable outcome. Conversely few series have been described in Europe and etiology and mechanism are still unknown. We describe the case of a 74-year-old Italian woman with tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy, one of the first Italian cases reported to our knowledge. In the acute phase, echocardiography and ventriculography showed the typical mid-apical systolic left ventricular dysfunction, with an angiographically normal coronary tree. A few days after, technetium-99m single-photon emission computed tomography disclosed a large mid-apical perfusion defect and dobutamine stress echocardiography showed a typical "biphasic" response. Three months later, all of these tests normalized with normal left ventricular function. In conclusion, the results of functional tests, during the acute and subacute phases, suggest that, in the absence of evident coronary spasm, a transitory reduction of the coronary reserve played a role in the pathogenesis. In the absence of epicardial coronary obstruction this could be due to a transient microcircle dysfunction, and may be attributed to a spasm followed by impaired vasodilation capability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, San Leopoldo Mandic Hospital, Merate, LC, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malafronte
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tempesta
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lobiati
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galbiati
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cantù
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piatti
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Florimonte
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maffioli
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Achilli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis