Myocardial edema is a feature of Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy and is related to the severity of systolic dysfunction: insights from T2-weighted cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

We investigated if myocardial edema is a feature of Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). Seven TTC patients in the acute phase were studied using cine, T2 and late enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). A transmural area of high T2 signal was visible involving the mid-anterior wall and apical segments matching the distribution of hypokinesis. CMR-identified edema is a feature of TTC. This may provide insight into the pathophysiology of stress-induced cardiomyopathy and serve as a useful tool for its non-invasive characterization.