title: A case of intracranial hemorrhage causing stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The classic finding of Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy is left ventricular systolic dysfunction with echocardiographic evidence of apical ballooning in the absence of significant coronary disease. Intracranial hemorrhage is a known cause for stress-induced cardiomyopathy with a similar echocardiographic presentation. This diagnostic finding suggests a similar pathophysiologic mechanism between neurogenic cardiac damage and the wide array of medical and psychosocial disorders that are known to cause stress-induced cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo's syndrome). The neurogenic-cardiac variant of stress-induced cardiomyopathy is associated with good cardiovascular prog- nosis; the hallmark feature of the disorder is complete echocardiographic resolution of systolic dysfunction within a short period of time. While malignant presentations are rare, the disorder can present as severe heart failure or ventricular tachyarrhythmias. We report a case of a near life-threatening episode of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-induced stress-cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Internal medicine resident at The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stockwell
mesh_terms: D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Takotsubo’s cardiomyopathy; arrhythmia; echocardiogram; intracranial hemorrhage