Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a cardiac dysfunction characterized by transient segmented ballooning of the left ventricle, usually the apical region. It mainly affects postmenopausal women and represents 1 to 2% of all cases of suspected myocardial infarction. Clinical presentation is similar to that of an acute coronary syndrome, with chest pain and dyspnea as the main symptoms. Cardiac biomarkers and ECG are unable to differentiate Takotsubo from myocardial infarction. The diagnosis is suggested by the coexistence ofabnormal regional left ventricle kinetics, often severe, together with the absence of significant coronary disease. MRI imaging may be useful to confirm the diagnosis. Management mainly focuses on stabilising the patient's hemodynamics during the acute phase. Prognosis is usually excellent, and complete recovery of cardiac function is the norm. We report five cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy recently seen in our institution and review the literature.