title: Stress cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Recently, an increasing number of cases of stress cardiomyopathy, mainly occurring in elderly women, have been documented in many parts of the world. In Japan, this disease is known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy (named after the fishing pot used for trapping octopus). Symptoms of this condition are akin to those of acute myocardial infarction, but no obstructive lesions are found in the coronary arteries, and left ventricular apical ballooning is present. Stress cardiomyopathy is now a well-recognized cause of acute heart failure, lethal ventricular arrhythmias, and ventricular rupture. Although the precise mechanism of onset of this condition is still controversial, two major pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed: catecholamine cardiotoxicity and neurogenic stunned myocardium. We summarize the findings of studies conducted to date on stress cardiomyopathy-from bench to bedside and bedside to bench.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki-city, Kanagawa-prefecture, Japan. johnny@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshihiro J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Akashi
authors.forename: Holger M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Nef
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Möllmann
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueyama
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000473:pathology; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology