Sudden cardiac death: an increasingly recognized presentation of apical ballooning syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy).

We present an unfortunate case of a previously healthy woman who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the setting of severe emotional distress, likely due to apical ballooning syndrome. This case highlights the fact that although patients with apical ballooning syndrome typically do well following recovery from transient left ventricular dysfunction, they should be monitored closely in the acute setting due to the potential for life-threatening arrhythmias.