title: Broken lung and broken heart: a case of right pneumothorax resulting in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), also known as broken-heart syndrome, is usually the result of a stressful event. It is more common in postmenopausal females and can mimic an acute coronary syndrome. We report the case of an elderly female who presented with acute chest pain and ECG changes suggestive of an acute myocardial infarction, but later was found to have right-sided pneumothorax with TC. The case highlights the growing interest in stress cardiomyopathy and its variable modes of presentation. It also reminds us that the acute chest pain of a pneumothorax can closely mimic a coronary event with similar electrocardiographic changes.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06032, USA. drkumar83@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padala
authors.forename: Donna Chelle
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Swales
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis