Time-Related Microcirculatory Dysfunction in Patients With Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) has been described as an acute reversible heart failure syndrome resulting from a transient contractile dysfunction of a large region of the left ventricular myocardium in the absence of epicardial coronary obstruction or plaque rupture. 1 In these patients, acute microvascular impairment has been previously demonstrated at the time of clinical presentation by measuring the index of microvascular resistance (IMR). 2 In the present study, we sought to prospectively assess the presence of microcirculatory dysfunction by invasively measuring the IMR in patients presenting with TCM. Specifically, we sought to elucidate whether a time-dependent trend in microvascular damage resolution exists.