Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy: how stress can mimic acute coronary occlusion

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an important differential diagnosis of acute coronary occlusive myocardial infarction that should be understood by all clinicians. Although TTC is frequently clinically indistinguishable from acute left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, it is readily differentiated with coronary angiography. The increasing frequency of acute angiography and revascularisation for patients with acute myocardial infarction has resulted in TTC being far more frequently diagnosed. Most common in postmenopausal women, TTC is frequently precipitated by physical or emotional stress, and after an acute phase during which the patient may be significantly haemodynamically compromised, there is rapid recovery and an excellent prognosis. After diagnosis the patient can be reassured and advised of the low rates of recurrence. Currently, no specific preventive therapy has been proven to be effective.