Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: clinical case and review.

A sudden, unexpected, reversible, severe left ventricular dysfunction, mimicking an acute myocardial infarction without demonstrable obstructive coronary artery stenosis, was first recognized in Japan in 1990 and originally termed takotsubo cardiomyopathy. In 2006, the American Heart Association included takotsubo cardiomyopathy into its classification of primary acquired cardiomyopathy. The true incidence of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the community is difficult to estimate. In fact, despite an increasing awareness, this syndrome has to date been under-recognized and misdiagnosed, mainly because of the transitory natures of its clinical and instrumental features. The study aim was to investigate the association between the occurrence of takotsubo cardiomyopathy and emotional or physical stressors, as described also in the setting of various surgical procedures. The case is also described of a 77-year-old woman who suffered a transient left ventricular dysfunction soon after cardiac surgery for valvular disease and epicardial cryoablation of atrial fibrillation.