Dobutamine stress-induced cardiomyopathy in an orthotopic heart transplant patient.

Cases of transient left ventricular apical ballooning during dobutamine stress echocardiography have been described in the literature. Dobutamine may contribute to this phenomenon via excess catecholamine release, similar to the proposed mechanism of apical ballooning syndrome during states of extreme emotional stress. We report the first case of reversible severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction with an apical ballooning pattern during dobutamine stress echocardiography in a patient who had undergone orthotopic heart transplantation.