[Clinical case of the month. Left ventricular apical ballooning (Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy)].

A 80-year-old European woman was admitted for a cardiac syndrome which mimics acute coronary insufficiency, with apical akinesis and basal hyperkinesis. The first description of this syndrome (Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy) was reported in Japanese patients in the 90's. Recently this reversible left ventricular cardiomyopathy was also described in USA and Europe in white patients. This cardiomyopathy often develops in older women, after emotional or physical stress. The etiology remains unknown.