Viability Assessment by Multidetector Computed Tomography in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, known as Takotsubo, is an increasingly recognized syndrome, characterized by transient apical or midventricular dysfunction, which mimics myocardial infarction in the absence of significant coronary artery disease, and is thought to be due to transient catecholamine overload. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a novel imaging approach increasingly recognized as a rapid, noninvasive diagnostic modality to assess coronary anatomy and cardiac function. Few reports have been published regarding its utility in the assessment of myocardial viability after myocardial infarction. We describe 2 patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy who underwent MDCT imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the utility of MDCT that shows the absence of delayed hyperenhancement in patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.