Integral role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnostic workup of suspected takotsubo cardiomyopathy: Avoiding misdiagnosis.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), or stress cardiomyopathy, is an increasingly recognized acute but reversible myopathic process affecting the ventricle. Although specific criteria have been published to diagnose this entity, traditionally, coronary angiography has been used to exclude coronary artery disease in this condition. We present a case initially suspected to be TC based on clinical and angiographic data. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance with delayed enhancement imaging with gadolinium identified occult coronary artery disease and refuted the original diagnosis of TC. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance should be an integral part of the diagnostic workup of suspected Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 592-594).