Coronary artery disease mimicking Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy: A case report

Abstract

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is a syndrome mostly observed in post-menopausal women, which mimics myocardial infarction with an ST elevation; and coronary angiography shows apical ballooning but a normal left anterior descending. Although coronary artery disease is considered as an exclusion criterion, for differential diagnosis of this type of cardiomyopathy, Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy cases accompanied by coronary artery disease were also reported. In this report, we are presenting a patient who exhibits different findings than a classical Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy case because of her young age, coexisting atherosclerotic lesion, smaller diameter of the apical systolic ballooning and absence of an increase in cardiac enzymes. © 2009 Kurt; licensee Cases Network Ltd.