title: Transient left ventricular dysfunction due to stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The case presented here is of a 71-yr-old female patient who met the diagnostic criteria for stress-induced cardiomyopathy, which was triggered by intense emotional stress after being hit by a bicycle. The clinical picture mimicked that of an acute myocardial infarction, manifesting as precordial pain, ST-segment depression followed by deep negative T waves and prolonging of the QT interval, slight increase in cardiac enzymes and coursing with transient apical ballooning of the left ventricle and hyperkinesis of the basal walls (conferring the aspect of "apical ballooning"), although in the absence of subepicardial coronary obstruction. Ventricular function normalized after the second week of clinical evolution.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Cardiologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. simoesmv@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marcus Vinicius
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marin-Neto
authors.forename: Minna Moreira Dias
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: João Lucas
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: Giovani Luis
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: de Santi
authors.forename: Benedito Carlos
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Maciel
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000523:psychology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D008790:Metoprolol; D019808:Losartan