Ergonovine provocative test in Caucasian patients with left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome.

Of a series of 346 consecutive patients with chest pain and no significant coronary stenosis studied with ergonovine provocative test (EPT), 18 fulfilled diagnostic criteria for left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (LVABS). EPT was negative in all these patients. On the other 328 patients, EPT was positive in 69 (21%). LVABS patients were more frequently women (94 vs. 30%), had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (0.41 ± 0.11 vs. 0.55 ± 0.09), more troponin T level increments (83 vs. 23%), and a higher prevalence of stress situations (72 vs. 3%) than patients EPT positive.