Possible predictive factors for recovery of left ventricular systolic function in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

A Systematic Review of COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A 2023 Update

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a life-threatening transient left ventricular dysfunction triggered by either physical or emotional stressors. Concerns have been raised on reports of TCM after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Our study provides comprehensive detail on COVID-19 vaccine-induced TCM. We conducted a systemic literature search using major databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar up to November 2023, to identify cases of COVID-19 vaccine-induced TCM using the MeSH terms and keywords "covid-19 vaccines" and "takotsubo cardiomyopathy". We identified 15 case reports, including 16 patients with COVID-19 vaccine-induced TCM. The mean age was 55.81 ± 19.13 years, and 75% of the patients were female. The most common presentation was chest pain (62.5%), and the average time to first symptom onset was 3.12 ± 2.24 days. COVID-19 vaccine-induced TCM was reported in 43.75% of patients receiving the first and second dose each, and 87% of patients had messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna). The elevated level of cardiac troponins was found in all the patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of <50% in 15 patients, and T-wave inversion (50%) was the most common electrocardiographic finding. The mean length of the hospital stay was 7.27 ± 3.95 days, and 87% of patients were discharged. COVID-19 vaccine-induced TCM is a rare but life-threatening complication. TCM should be included in the differential diagnosis of chest pain or dyspnea in patients recently receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Following COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose: A Case Report

Although the efficacy and safety of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine have been established, side effects and adverse events related to the COVID-19 vaccine are still coming out. COVID-19 vaccine also has the potential to cause acute and long-term cardiovascular effects, which include myocarditis, pericarditis, myopericarditis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, thrombotic thrombocytopenia, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Although uncommon, takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) has also been reported following COVID-19 vaccination. We report a case of TCM following the COVID-19 vaccine in a 59-year-old female who presented with intermittent chest pain and dyspnea following the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. She had no identifiable triggers for TCM, no risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and normal cardiac enzyme levels, ruling out other causes of cardiac dysfunction. The diagnosis of TCM was supported by imaging findings and the absence of obstructive or thrombotic lesions on angiography.

Unusual Case of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Secondary to COVID-19 Vaccine: Case Report and Literature Review

COVID-19 is a serious disease with high morbidity and mortality around the globe. We present a case of a 45-year-old male who presents with substernal chest pain three days after receiving the second dose of his COVID-19 mRNA (Moderna) vaccine. A transthoracic echo showed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction of 25-30% with akinesis of the mid to distal anterior, anteroseptal, anterolateral, inferolateral, inferoseptal, and inferior walls. Patient symptoms improved significantly during his hospitalization. Repeat trans-thoracic echo four days after his hospitalization showed ejection fraction recovery without segmental wall motion abnormalities. This case demonstrates the importance of recognizing Takotsubo cardiomyopathy as a complication of COVID-19 vaccine.

Review of multi-modality imaging update and diagnostic work up of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is an acute but reversible non-ischemic heart failure syndrome. It is characterized by a transient form of ventricular dysfunction typically manifesting as basal hyperkinesis with hypokinesia and ballooning of left ventricle mid-cavity and apex. Imaging helps in both diagnosis and follow up. Echocardiogram is the first-line modality to assess the typical contractile dysfunction in suspected patients with catheter angiography showing normal coronary arteries. Cardiac MRI is currently the modality of choice for the non-invasive initial assessment of TC and for follow up imaging. The current review focusses on historical background of TC, its pathophysiology, diagnostic work up and differential diagnosis and provides multimodality imaging work up of TC including role of echocardiogram, invasive catheterization, nuclear imaging, cardiac computed tomography and cardiac MRI including basic and advanced MRI sequences.

Role of Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Takotsubo Syndrome: The Psychiatric Side of Broken Heart

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also called broken heart syndrome, is an acute and transient cardiac wall motion abnormality of the left ventricle. The patient prototype is a post-menopausal woman with myocardial infarction-like symptoms (angina pectoris, breathlessness, palpitations, etc.) who has experienced sudden emotional or physical stress. Although prognosis is generally considered relatively benign, both complications and recurrence rates are not insignificant. Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying TTS are not entirely understood, but the sympathetic system over-activity has a leading role. Moreover, since emotional stress frequently triggers TTS and since precedent diagnosis of psychiatric disorders sometimes coexists, the psychological response to stress could be another potential therapeutic target. Indeed, this article aims to explore the association between underlying depression and anxiety disorders and TTS, as well as to find ideal therapeutic options useful to treat and prevent TTS. Thus in our review, we considered case reports, case-control studies, and review articles from PubMed. Papers dealing with Takotsubo syndrome and anxiety disorder or depression were selected. We included papers published since 2010 and whose abstract was in English. We concluded that anxiety disorders, but not depression, are associated with a higher occurrence of TTS. There is a link between anxiety, TTS, and inflammation leading to increased sympathetic activity. Nevertheless, patients with pre-admission psychiatric disorders have a higher risk of recurrent TTS. Importantly, the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) could be a potential therapeutic aid in preventing TTS's recurrence in selected patients.

Stress (Takotsubo) Cardiomyopathy: A Review of Its Pathophysiology, Manifestations, and Factors That Affect Prognosis

Stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy (SC) is becoming an increasingly recognized syndrome, previously underdiagnosed due to its similar presentation to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). With advancements in imaging and diagnostic tools, our ability to recognize, diagnose and subsequently manage SC has advanced as well. Multiple diagnostic criteria have been created for the diagnosis of SC. While the diagnosis of SC does not always require imaging, advanced imaging can aid in the diagnosis of SC in unclear cases. However, due to the severity of ACS and the consequences of missing that diagnosis, SC is still typically a diagnosis of exclusion once ACS has been ruled out on cardiac catheterization. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of SC is still evolving. While catecholamine surges are widely believed to be the precipitating cause of SC, the exact mechanism for how catecholamine surges lead to ventricular dysfunction is still being debated. Understanding the mechanism behind ventricular dysfunction in SC can potentially provide the basis for treatment. Different stressors may lead to different variants of cardiomyopathy, with different portions of the ventricles affected. Treatment of SC is largely supportive and therefore should be tailored to the patient's individual needs based on the severity of presentation. Both the underlying stressor and the variant of SC affect time to recovery and mortality. Many patient factors can impact prognosis as well. Even after initial hospital discharge for SC, long-term risks do exist, including the risk for recurrent SC. Only angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been shown to reduce the recurrence of SC.

Utility of ICD Codes for Stress Cardiomyopathy in Hospital Administrative Databases: What Do They Signify?

Prior studies of stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) have used International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to identify patients in administrative databases without evaluating the validity of these codes. Between 2010 and 2016, we identified 592 patients discharged with a first known principal or secondary ICD code for SCM in our medical system. On chart review, 580 charts had a diagnosis of SCM (positive predictive value 98%; 95% CI: 96.4-98.8), although 38 (6.4%) did not have active clinical manifestations of SCM during the hospitalization. Moreover, only 66.8% underwent cardiac catheterization and 91.5% underwent echocardiography. These findings suggest that, although all but a few hospitalized patients with an ICD code for SCM had a diagnosis of SCM, some of these were chronic cases, and numerous patients with a new diagnosis of SCM did not undergo a complete diagnostic workup. Researchers should be mindful of these limitations in future studies involving administrative databases.

Simultaneous assessment of calcium handling and contractility dynamics in isolated ventricular myocytes of a rat model of post-acute isoproterenol-induced cardiomyopathy

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) results from a profound catecholaminergic surge during strong emotional or physical stress. SIC is characterized by acute left ventricular apex hypokinesia, in the absence of coronary arteries occlusion, and can lead to arrhythmias and acute heart failure. Although, most SIC patients recover, the process could be slow, and recurrence or death may occur. Despite that the SIC common denominator is a large catecholamine discharge, the pathophysiological mechanism is incompletely understood. It is thought that catecholamines have direct cytotoxicity on apical ventricular myocytes (VM), which have the highest β-adrenergic receptors density, and whose overstimulation might cause acute Ca²⁺ overload and oxidative stress, causing death in some VM and stunning others. Rodents receiving acute isoproterenol (ISO) overdose (OV) mimic SIC development, however, they have not been used to simultaneously assess Ca²⁺ handling and contractility status in isolated VM, which might explain ventricular hypokinesia. Therefore, treating rats with a single ISO-OV (67 mg/kg body weight), we sought out to characterize, with confocal imaging, Ca²⁺ and shortening dynamics in Fluo-4-loaded VM, during the early (1-5 days) and late post-acute phases (15 days). We found that ISO-OV VM showed contractile dysfunction; blunted shortening with slower force development and relaxation. These correlated with Ca²⁺ mishandling; blunted Ca²⁺ transient, with slower time to peak and SR Ca²⁺ recovery. SR Ca²⁺ content was low, nevertheless, diastolic Ca²⁺ sparks were more frequent, and their duration increased. Contractility and Ca²⁺ dysfunction aggravated or remained altered over time, explaining slow recovery. We conclude that diminished VM contractility is the main determinant of ISO-OV hypokinesia and is mostly related to Ca²⁺ mishandling.

Diffuse Deep T-Wave Inversions Following a Generalized Seizure

Patient: Female, 44

Final Diagnosis: Stress induced cardiomyopathy

Symptoms: Seizure

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: —

Specialty: Cardiology

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a man with no trigger and multiple cardioembolic complications-A rare constellation

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TC) is an uncommon, transient, reversible cardiomyopathy, with a classic pattern of wall-motion abnormalities, usually seen in women after an emotional stressor. Despite its increased recognition, there remain gaps in the exact mechanisms, predisposing factors, and predictors of recovery; this is particularly true for males where the condition occurs far less frequently than in females. TC typically resolves within weeks, and the prognosis is favorable compared to acute coronary syndromes. Nonetheless, about 1% of cases may be complicated by left ventricular (LV) thrombus and embolism. Herein we describe an atypical case of a man with no obvious trigger, who developed TC with left ventricular thrombus and multiple embolic complications, but subsequently showed complete and full resolution. Multimodality imaging including echocardiography, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI was instrumental in this diagnostic dilemma, as well as useful in guiding treatment options and informing prognosis.