Transient apical ballooning accompanying respiratory infection.

We report the case of a 75-year-old man, referred for worsening dyspnea and fever. The electrocardiography (ECG) showed mild ST-elevation in anterior leads, while cardiac echography severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with apical ballooning. Later on, ECG showed negative T-waves and QT-prolongation in the same anterior leads and T-waves positivization during fever peak. Ten days later, LV ejection fraction completely recovered, apical ballooning and fever disappeared. We, therefore, hypothesize that transient apical ballooning found in our patient may have been induced by a respiratory infection, not detectable at seriate blood cultures.