ABSTRACT
Stress cardiomyopathy, or Takotsubo syndrome, is an increasingly recognized clinical entity defined by a characteristic transient myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunction that often affects postmenopausal women in response to acute emotional or physical stress. Although clinically resembles acute coronary syndromes, making the diagnosis challenging, stress cardiomyopathy is not explained by an acute obstruction at the level of the epicardial coronary arteries, as wall motion abnormalities typically extend beyond the territory supplied by a single coronary artery. Albeit prognosis has been considered benign in the past, it is now recognized that stress cardiomyopathy is associated with a significant risk of complications and mortality, not different from those of acute coronary syndromes. In absence of data from clinical trials, acute and long-term management remains a challenge. This chapter presents an update on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of stress cardiomyopathy.
