title: Atypical takotsubo cardiomyopathy: dobutamine-precipitated apical ballooning with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
abstract: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or transient apical ballooning syndrome, is a recently recognized form of transient left ventricular dysfunction that is presumably caused by stress. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can clinically resemble an acute coronary syndrome. Reported cases have been preceded by emotional stress or medical illness. Herein, we report a fatal case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy that followed a dobutamine stress test. We believe that the dobutamine infusion led to stress-induced cardiomyopathy with a dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. To our knowledge, there is only 1 other report of an association between dobutamine infusion and the development of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts 01608, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cherian
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kothari
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Angelis
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atef
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014694:Ventricular Outflow Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*