Introduction: Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy is defined as a syndrome with coronary lessions ‹50%, transient (reversible) left ventricular apical wall motion abnormalities accompained with chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and minimal myocardial enzymatic release mimicking acute myocardial syndrome. Patofyziology of this cardiomyopathy has been described recently, while the incidence is still unknown.
The Aim of this retrospective study is to assess the incidence of stress-induced myocardial stunning among patients undergoing urgent coronary angiography for suspected myocardial infarction.
Materials and methods: During a four-year period (2002-2005), a total of 1,942 patients underwent urgent coronary angiography for suspected acute myocardial infarction at the Cardiocentrum, Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic.
Patients without angiographic stenosis on the coronary angiogram (‹50%) underwent compex cardiology evaluation including symtoms, ECG, cardiospecific markers, coronary angiography and echocardiography findings.
Results: One-hunderd nineteen patients (6%) had normal angiography findings or atherosclerotic lessions less than 50%. Two patients (0.1%) fulfiled the criteria for Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy. Acute myocarditis has been diagnosed in one of the suspected patients for Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy, while in the other patient Tako-Tsubo syndrome has been confirmed. Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy incidence rate among patients undergoing urgent coronary angiography for suspected myocardial infarction was estimated at 0.01% per year.
Conclusion: This abstract reports the incidence of this novel cardiomyopathy with transient apicall ballooning. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy or Tako-Tsubo syndrom seems to have a very small incidence rate. These data should be verified by prospective studies.
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