Fast Five Quiz: How Much Do You Know About 'Broken-Heart Syndrome'?

Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI

Disclosures

January 22, 2018

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been referred to as acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome, and "broken-heart syndrome." It is a transient cardiac syndrome that involves left ventricular apical akinesis and mimics acute coronary syndrome. Patients often present with chest pain and generally have a similar presentation to those with myocardial infarction (MI). However, when the patient undergoes cardiac angiography, ballooning of the apex of the left ventricle (LV) or, less commonly, of other segments of the LV, is present, and no significant coronary artery stenosis is observed. The absence of obstructive coronary artery disease is key to the diagnosis in this context.

Although most patients completely recover within 4-8 weeks, significant complications occur in nearly 20% of cases, particularly during the early stages. Do you know important factors related to presentation, workup, and treatment? Test yourself with this short quiz.

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