Serial evaluation of microcirculatory dysfunction in patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy by myocardial contrast echocardiography.

BACKGROUND

Stress cardiomyopathy manifests as reversible left ventricular apical ballooning in the absence of epicardial coronary obstruction. Transient microcirculatory dysfunction has been proposed as a potential putative mechanism. This study aimed to understand the natural history of this dysfunction using readily available noninvasive methods.

HYPOTHESIS: Stress cardiomyopathy presents with profound microvascular dysfunction that improves quickly over a period of 3 to 4 weeks.

METHODS

Nine consecutive patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy were followed serially with myocardial perfusion echocardiograms at 24 hours, within 1 week, and 3 to 6 months after index admission.

RESULTS

The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) steadily improved from 38% at baseline to 48% within 1 week to 67% by the end of 3 to 6 months follow-up. The number of wall segments with reduced or absent perfusion decreased from 4.1 at baseline to 2 at 1 week. By 3 to 6 months, perfusion had returned to normal in all but 1 segment in 1 patient. At 1 week, the relative improvement in mean LVEF was 26%, whereas perfusion had improved by nearly 50%, suggesting a fairly pronounced improvement in microcirculatory function prior to recovery of wall motion.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy present with significant acute microcirculatory dysfunction that recovers quickly prior to the recovery of regional wall motion abnormalities.