Long-term follow-up of Tako-Tsubo-like syndrome: a retrospective study of 22 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the late outcome of the Tako-Tsubo like syndrome in a community hospital in northern Italy.


RESULTS
We reviewed 2233 patients who were admitted from 2001 to 2006 with diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Twenty-two patients (1%) presenting clinical and instrumental characteristics of Tako-Tsubo like syndrome were included in the study and prospectively underwent clinical and echocardiographic follow-up. All patients were women; aged 76 +/- 7 years; 82% experienced a stress before the acute episode; 50% reported chest pain and dyspnoea also days before. Mean troponin peak value was 3.6 +/- 3.3 microg/l. Mean acute echocardiographic ejection fraction was 40 +/- 7%. Eighteen percent of them presented major in-hospital complications. At a mean follow-up time of 27 +/- 19 months, 2 patients (9%) died because of ischemic stroke and renal failure, respectively, 14 (63%) were asymptomatic, 1 (5%) declared a paroxysmal episode of atrial fibrillation, and 5 (23%) still lamented dyspnoea or atypical chest pain. In all patients, typical apical ballooning disappeared and an increase in mean ejection fraction to 60 +/- 4% was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
After complications are promptly recognized and treated in the acute phase, prognosis of Tako-Tsubo like syndrome appears to be good at long-term follow-up, with a complete recovery of normal left ventricular function.
Valbusa
Alberto
A
Division of Cardiology, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. albertovalbusa@yahoo.it
Abbadessa
Francesco
F
Giachero
Corinna
C
Vischi
Massimo
M
Zingarelli
Antonio
A
Olivieri
Roberto
R
Visconti
Luigi Oltrona
LO
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*