Apical ballooning syndrome complicated by acute severe mitral regurgitation with left ventricular outflow obstruction--case report

Mechanical circulatory support for Takotsubo syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock occurs in 10%-15% of patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TS). For several reasons catecholamines, and especially inotropes, should be avoided in TS. Temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) appears attractive as bridge-to-recovery, but prospective studies are lacking. Here we analyze the available literature on MCS use in patients with TS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PubMed/Medline was systematically screened until December 2019. 18 studies reporting pooled data of 5629 TS patients, of whom 227 had received MCS, were considered for a qualitative synthesis. 81 articles from 2003 through 2019 reporting individual data of 93 MCS cases were included in a meta-analysis. Median age was 57 (IQR: 43-68) years, 83.9% were women, and a physical trigger could be identified in 74.1% of cases. Median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before MCS was 20% (IQR: 15-25) and comparable between groups defined by MCS device. An apical TS type was present in 76.1% of cases. The overall number of publications on MCS for TS increased over time, as did those using veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) and Impella, while those using intra-aortic balloon pump declined. MCS-related complications were not regularly reported. Median time on MCS was 3 (IQR: 2-7) days, with an overall survival of 94.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

MCS for TS-related shock is increasingly reported, with a growing use of V-A ECMO and Impella. Currently available clinical data support this approach. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate safety and efficacy of different devices as well as timing of MCS in this special patient population.

International Expert Consensus Document on Takotsubo Syndrome (Part II): Diagnostic Workup, Outcome, and Management

The clinical expert consensus statement on takotsubo syndrome (TTS) part II focuses on the diagnostic workup, outcome, and management. The recommendations are based on interpretation of the limited clinical trial data currently available and experience of international TTS experts. It summarizes the diagnostic approach, which may facilitate correct and timely diagnosis. Furthermore, the document covers areas where controversies still exist in risk stratification and management of TTS. Based on available data the document provides recommendations on optimal care of such patients for practising physicians.

Acute mitral regurgitation

The diagnosis of acute mitral regurgitation (MR) is often missed or delayed because the clinical presentation is substantially different from that in patients with chronic MR. Management of acute MR depends on the specific aetiology of valve dysfunction and there is a lack of consensus on the optimal therapeutic approach in many patients. In particular, management of secondary MR due to acute ischaemia is challenging because of unique mechanisms of valve incompetence compared with chronic ischaemic MR. Another clinical challenge is management of acute MR due to transient systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in the acute phase of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which commonly resolves within a few weeks. Additionally, iatrogenic MR induced by intraventricular devices is a recently recognised aetiology of acute MR. Acute primary MR typically requires early surgical intervention, for example, with a flail leaflet or endocarditis, because of acute cardiovascular decompensation with an abrupt increase in left atrial pressure. In an emergency situation and high surgical risk, a percutaneous mitral valve edge-to-edge repair is an alternative therapeutic option. Firm diagnosis of the severity and aetiology of acute MR is necessary for proper decision making, including timing and types of surgical intervention.

[Tako-tsubo syndrome: analysis of a series of 60 cases]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The Tako-tsubo syndrome (TS) is a reversible acute cardiomyopathy simulating an infarction. We analyzed 60 patients admitted with TS in our center.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

A percentage of 73.3 were women (mean age: 70.6 ± 11.8 years); 83.3% had some cardiovascular risk factor, 25% had an anxiety-depressive disorder and in 58.3% a precipitating factor was identified, emotional stress being the most frequent. A percentage of 15.3 showed complete left bundle branch block (LBBB). In 23.3% of patients, contractile abnormalities respected the apex (mid ventricular or diaphragmatic types).

RESULTS

The anterior descending artery showed no significant lesions in 35% of patients and in 68.3% it had a diaphragmatic segment. Forty percent of patients developed heart failure (HF) and 18.3% cardiogenic shock (CS). The overall in-hospital mortality was 3.3%, while it was 8.3% among those patients who developed HF. The incidence of CS was higher among patients with LBBB (44.4 vs. 13.7%, P=.05) and males (43.8 vs. 9.1%, P=.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Although in-hospital mortality in patients admitted due to TS is low, a significant percentage of these patients develop HF with a high mortality in this subgroup. Males and patients with LBBB had higher in-hospital morbidity.

Initial clinical presentation of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy with-a focus on electrocardiographic changes: A literature review of cases

AIM: To review the initial presentation and demonstrate the importance of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

METHODS: A PubMed search using the terms “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC)” and “apical ballooning syndrome” yielded 211 publications. Only those that were relevant were fully reviewed. The gender, age, precipitating stressor, main complaint at presentation, electrocardiogram (ECG) at admission and serum cardiac markers of patients diagnosed with TC, were extracted as available. The data were organized in tables and graphics, and the incidence of the disorder was calculated and analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 250 clinical cases were examined. The predominant gender that was affected was female, with a prevalence of 87.5%. The mean age of presentation was 64 ± 14 years. The cases were divided by age into 10-year intervals. The age interval of 60-69 years showed the highest frequency of TC, accounting for 79 cases. The most common precipitating stressor was physical (50% of cases). Chest pain was the primary complaint at presentation (58.8% of cases) followed by dyspnea (30% of cases). The ST segment changes category was the most common (60%), followed by T wave changes (39.6%). Of the 60% of cases with ST segment changes, 12% had concomitant T wave changes. This means that for 27.6% of the cases, the primary abnormality in the ECG was T wave changes; 87.6% of cases with TC had a change in the ST segment, in the T wave or in both. The percentage of ECGs presenting with changes in the anterior wall was 54.4% (35.6% of ST segment elevation + 1.6% of ST segment depression + 17.2% of T wave inversion). The percentage of patients presenting with changes in the lateral segment of the heart was 46.8%, while the percentage of patients with changes in the inferior heart was 21.6% and the percentage of patients with changes in the apical region was only 16%. The prevalence of elevated creatinine kinase and/or troponin on initial presentation was 89.3%.

CONCLUSION: It is essential that every physician consider Takotsubo cardiomyopathy as a possible differential diagnosis when a patient is classified with acute coronary syndrome. To do so, it is necessary to know the clinical presentation of this syndrome in its early stages.

[Patient care in the acute phase of stress induced cardiomyopathy (Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy)--and thereafter?]

The prognosis of patients presenting with Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is generally considered to be favorable. However, in the acute phase of the disorder complications are not infrequent and, therefore, continuous monitoring and consistent therapy in an intensive care unit is essential. Typical complications in patients with TTC are cardiogenic shock, obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), occasionally accompanied by acute mitral regurgitation, arrhythmias, predominantly torsade de pointes tachycardias due to QT prolongation, left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation with or without consecutive thromboembolic events, and LV rupture. After confirmation of TTC by coronary angiography, repeat echocardiography should be performed. A standardized therapy for patients with TTC has so far not been established. Recommendations for the acute phase include the administration of anxiolytic agents for patients who present with preceding emotional stress, consistent therapy of physical stressors (such as pain or asthma) and avoidance of catecholamine therapy. Shock due to LVOT obstruction is treated by administration of volume and β-blockers. With respect to the occurrence of torsade de pointes tachycardias, drugs which might cause QT prolongation should not be given. The notable incidence of LV thrombus formation justifies therapeutic anticoagulation. Systematic studies and treatment recommendations for the prophylaxis of recurrent TTC do not exist. The recently reported association between TTC and malignant disorders should prompt tumor screening and subsequent preventive medical checkups in patients affected by TTC.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after a dancing session: a case report

Introduction

Stress-induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy is a rare form of cardiomyopathy which presents in a manner similar to that of acute coronary syndrome. This sometimes leads to unnecessary thrombolysis therapy. The pathogenesis of this disease is still poorly understood. We believe that reporting all cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy will contribute to a better understanding of this disease. Here, we report a patient who, in the absence of any recent stressful events in her life, developed the disease after a session of dancing.

Case presentation

A 69-year-old Caucasian woman presented with features suggestive of acute coronary syndrome shortly after a session of dancing. Echocardiography and a coronary angiogram showed typical features of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and our patient was treated accordingly. Eight weeks later, her condition resolved completely and the results of echocardiography were totally normal.

Conclusions

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, though transient, is a rare and serious condition. Although it is commonly precipitated by stressful life events, these are not necessarily present. Our patient was enjoying one of her hobbies (that is, dancing) when she developed the disease. This case has particular interest in medicine, especially for the specialties of cardiology and emergency medicine. We hope that it will add more information to the literature about this rare condition.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy--a clinical review

Stress cardiomyopathy is characterised by reversible left ventricular dysfunction. It simulates an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), presenting with precordial pain or dyspnoea, changes of the ST segment, T wave, or QTc interval on electrocardiogram, and raised cardiac enzymes. Typical findings are disturbances of segmental contractility (apical hypokinesia or akinesia), with normal epicardial coronary arteries. The true prevalence is unknown, as the syndrome may be under-diagnosed; it is more common in postmenopausal women. There is usually a trigger in the form of physical or psychological stress. The electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and ventriculographic changes resolve spontaneously over a variable period of time (from days to months). There are a number of pathophysiological theories, none of which has been shown to be definitive, suggesting that all of them may be involved to some extent. The prognosis is generally favourable, and recurrence is very rare.

Management of acute regurgitation in left-sided cardiac valves

The management of acute, severe cardiac valvular regurgitation requires expeditious multidisciplinary care. Although acute, severe valvular regurgitation can be a true surgical emergency, accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions require clinical acumen, appropriate imaging, and sound judgment. An accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for successful outcomes and requires appropriate expertise and a sufficiently high degree of suspicion in a variety of settings. Whereas cardiovascular collapse is the most obvious and common presentation of acute cardiac valvular regurgitation, findings may be subtle, and the clinical presentation can often be nonspecific. Consequently, other acute conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, or nonvalvular heart failure may be mistaken for acute valvular regurgitation. In comparison with that of the right-sided valves, regurgitation of the left-sided valves is more common and has greater clinical impact. Therefore, this review focuses on acute regurgitation of the aortic and mitral valves.

Echocardiography in stress cardiomyopathy and acute LVOT obstruction

Widespread use of echocardiography has contributed to more frequent recognition of takotsubo stress cardiomyopathy. Initial presentation is similar to acute coronary syndrome and the acute course can be complicated by heart failure, arrhythmias, dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, hypotension and death. We briefly review the clinical presentation and propose a unified diagnostic algorithm for cardiologists acutely managing this cardiac emergency. We highlight the central role of echocardiography and emphasize the nuances of this peculiar acute cardiomyopathy from an echocardiographers' perspective.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Review of the Literature

Although takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare entity, it is an important differential in patients presenting with symptoms, signs, and electrocardiographic changes suggestive of an acute myocardial infarction. Since it was first recognized in 1991, it has gained increasing attention worldwide; however, its etiology and consequently the optimal management still remains unclear. Here, the authors provide a review of the current literature accompanied with images of a typical case from our department.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a disease in which patients present with signs and symptoms mimicking an acute coronary syndrome and, thus, undergo cardiac catheterization. At the time of catheterization, however, no critical coronary lesions are found. Most of these patients have a characteristic left ventriculogram and recent history of a preceding stressor. While the acute phase of the illness can lead to ventricular tachyarrhythmias and possibly even death, a key feature of this syndrome in the majority of patients is its generally benign course and reversibility in myocardial dysfunction over a period of days to weeks. The pathophysiology of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Optimal long-term medical therapy has not been well established at this time, since the etiology of the disease process remains a source of debate.

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.

Targeting of the Akt/PKB kinase to the actin skeleton

Serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB intracellular distribution undergoes rapid changes in response to agonists such as Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or Insulin-like growth factor (IGF). The concept has recently emerged that Akt subcellular movements are facilitated by interaction with nonsubstrate ligands. Here we show that Akt is bound to the actin skeleton in in situ cytoskeletal matrix preparations from PDGF-treated Saos2 cells, suggesting an interaction between the two proteins. Indeed, by immunoprecipitation and subcellular fractioning, we demonstrate that endogenous Akt and actin physically interact. Using recombinant proteins in in vitro binding and overlay assays, we further demonstrate that Akt interacts with actin directly. Expression of Akt mutants strongly indicates that the N-terminal PH domain of Akt mediates this interaction. More important, we show that the partition between actin bound and unbound Akt is not constant, but is modulated by growth factor stimulation. In fact, PDGF treatment of serum-starved cells triggers an increase in the amount of Akt associated with the actin skeleton, concomitant with an increase in Akt phosphorylation. Conversely, expression of an Akt mutant in which both Ser473 and Thr308 have been mutated to alanine completely abrogates PDGF-induced binding. The small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 seem to facilitate actin binding, possibly increasing Akt phosphorylation.