Key result
Intense emotional stress in a 64-year-old woman induced acute cardiomyopathy mimicking myocardial infarction, which showed complete electrocardiographic and echocardiographic recovery at 4 months.
Case Report (n=1)
Stress-induced cardiomyopathy can mimic acute myocardial infarction but is characterized by normal coronary arteries and a rapid, favorable recovery.
May prompt consideration of emotional stress in acute cardiomyopathy differentials; single case leaves open generalizability and mechanisms.
Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is described as an acute cardiomyopathy that occurs under the influence of an excessive level of catecholamine related to intense emotional stress. A 64-year-old woman presented with symptoms of acute myocardial infarction after emotional upset, but her coronary angiographic findings were revealed to be normal. Diffuse T wave inversions were observed in her electrocardiograms with akinetic wall motions sparing the basal segments in her left ventriculography. After four months, her electrocardiogram and echocardiogram findings had completely returned to normal. The precise diagnosis of this acute cardiomyopathy must be emphasized because it can initially be misdiagnosed as acute coronary syndromes. However in complete contrast to acute myocardial infarction, it has a rapid and favorable recovery with hardly any sequelae after a few months.
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Lee et al. (2002) conducted a case report in Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (n=1). Intense emotional stress was evaluated. Intense emotional stress in a 64-year-old woman induced acute cardiomyopathy mimicking myocardial infarction, which showed complete electrocardiographic and echocardiographic recovery at 4 months.
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