Stethoscopes and stories

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also broken heart syndrome, is often associated with physical or emotional stress. It is a syndrome characterized by transient regional systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle, mimicking myocardial infarction, but in the absence of angiographic evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease or acute plaque rupture. In most cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, the regional wall motion abnormality extends beyond the territory perfused by a single epicardial coronary artery. The term takotsubo is the Japanese name for an octopus trap, which has a shape that is similar to the systolic apical ballooning appearance of the left ventricle in the most common and typical form of this disorder.⁴ Here the author presents his painting of a takotsubo.