Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

aka transient apical ballooning syndrome, apical ballooning cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, broken-heart-syndrome, and simply stress cardiomyopathy.

• Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Can be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one
• Sudden onset of congestive heart failure or chest pain associated with EKG changes suggestive of an anterior wall myocardial infarction
• Bulging out of the left ventricular apex with a hypercontractile base of the left ventricle
• Tako tsubo or octopus trap in Japan, where it was first described
• Provided that the individual survives their initial presentation, the left ventricular function improves within 2 months
• More commonly seen in post-menopausal women