Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: Expanding the differential diagnosis in cardiothoracic surgery

We describe a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a 69-year-old woman after right upper lobectomy, without cardiac antecedents. The immediate course of recovery was uneventful. On the first postoperative day, clinical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome developed in association with ischemic electrocardiographic changes and a mild elevation in creatinine phosphokinase levels. Echocardiography showed moderate left ventricular dysfunction, with a typical takotsubo pattern. Coronary angiography revealed no abnormalities. After 2 days of supportive treatment, the patient recovered completely. The clinical presentation, instrumental findings, additional cardiac and noncardiac diseases, and the potential pathomechanism of takotsubo cardiomyopathy are described according to the current medical literature.