Open AccessThree‐Dimensional Entertainment as a Novel Cause of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Author(s) -
Taylor Montoya,
Amin Anish,
Bush Charles
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.20950
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiomyopathy , palpitations , cardiology , coronary artery disease , ejection fraction , nausea , vomiting , t wave , malaise , electrocardiography , heart failure
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is an uncommon entity. It is known to occur in the setting of extreme catecholamine release and results in left ventricular dysfunction without evidence of angiographically definable coronary artery disease. There have been no published reports of TC occurring with visual stimuli, specifically 3‐dimensional (3D) entertainment. We present a 55‐year‐old woman who presented to her primary care physician's office with extreme palpitations, nausea, vomiting, and malaise <48 hours after watching a 3D action movie at her local theater. Her electrocardiogram demonstrated ST elevations in aVL and V1, prolonged QTc interval, and T‐wave inversions in leads I, II, aVL, and V2‐V6. Coronary angiography revealed angiographically normal vessels, elevated left ventricular filling pressures, and decreased ejection fraction with a pattern of apical ballooning. The presumed final diagnosis was TC, likely due to visual‐auditory–triggered catecholamine release causing impaired coronary microcirculation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.