title: Cardiac MRI studies of transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (takotsubo cardiomyopathy): a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since its first description in 1991, many cases of transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (TLVABS) have been described, but the use of cardiac MRI in this condition is much more recent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed a systematic review of the present literature in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for relevant case series of TLVABS (>or=5 reported original cases, MRI analysis in the acute phase) and summarized the main results in a narrative synthesis. Only 8 studies met the eligible criteria, counting 176 patients (women: 95%; age: 68, stress trigger: 80%). MRI assessed an improvement of mean left ventricular ejection fraction from 39 (in the acute phase) to 64% (in the recovery phase). A right ventricular dysfunction was reported in 38%, a myocardial oedema in 81% and an apical thrombus in 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although cardiac MRI is a very useful and inescapable tool in the management of TLVABS, there is no large published study concerning this topic. A systematic and multicentric register of TLVABS studied by cardiac MRI is necessary.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U642, Rennes, F-35000, France. guillaume.leurent@chu-rennes.fr
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leurent
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larralde
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boulmier
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fougerou
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langella
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ollivier
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bedossa
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Breton
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000473:pathology*