Can takotsubo syndrome be rapidly diagnosed in the emergency department? A case study

Abstract

Some patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome may have had nonobstructive coronary arteries. Nevertheless, a lot of people are not aware that, as of the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction, Takotsubo syndrome is no longer categorized as myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteies group. This can lead to diagnostic delays, the use of unnecessary examination, and harmful medical intervention. We present a 68-year-old woman with typical chest pain for 6 h. She had a history of hypertension, transient ischemic attack, and diabetes mellitus. She was diagnosed first with acute coronary syndrome but was later found to have takotsubo syndrome, based on high international takotsubo diagnostic score and transthoracic echocardiography findings of systolic apical ballooning. Within 5 days, she makes a gradual recovery.