Stress cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, pathophysiology, management, and prognosis.

Link to article at PubMed

Stress cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, pathophysiology, management, and prognosis.

Crit Pathw Cardiol. 2011 Sep;10(3):142-7

Authors: Sharma AK, Singh JP, Heist EK

Abstract
Stress cardiomyopathy is now a well-recognized reversible cardiomyopathy, with a clinical presentation mimicking Acute Coronary syndrome in the absence of significant coronary artery disease. It is often encountered in postmenopausal females and is usually precipitated by acute emotional or physical stressors. In this review, we have attempted to summarize relevant data regarding diagnosis, typical and atypical presentations, pathophysiology, management options, and prognosis. Typically, patients present with chest pain and shortness of breath, transient electrocardiographic changes, moderate troponin elevation, and are found to have wall motion abnormalities (apical and midventricular akinesis with preserved basal segment systolic function) without obstructive coronary lesions, with complete resolution in next few weeks. The precise pathophysiology remains unclear, but excessive catecholamine stimulation, metabolic disturbances, and dysfunction of microcirculation are thought to be the underlying mechanisms.

PMID: 21989035 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *