This is the case of a 49-year-old female presenting in sustained cardiogenic shock due to an adrenal pheochromocytoma. She was rescued by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The presence of a catecholamine-secreting tumor was confirmed by highly elevated plasma metanephrines and catecholamines. Successful open adrenalectomy was performed under protective extracorporeal life suppor...

The intrapericardic cardiac tumors are infrequent; however, the clinical manifestations can be serious, even with symptoms of low cardiac output or cardiogenic shock, depending on the localization of the tumor. We report the case of a 3-month-old infant who progressed to cardiogenic shock due to an intrapericardic tumor compressing the right atrium and the vena cava superior. Emergent surgery f...

Cardiogenic shock in the setting of myocardial infarction continues to represent a high proportion of immediate mortality in this patient population, despite ongoing advances in thrombolytics, PCI, and medical management of AMI. We present a case of peri-MI cardiogenic shock necessitating deployment of a percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD). TEE guidance played a crucial role in optima...

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy has a wide variety of clinical presentations ranging from angina symptoms to cardiogenic shock, as well as an array of echocardiographic findings and etiologies. We present a unique case of severe biventricular dilation with cardiogenic shock but rapid recovery within 96 hrs. Severe biventricular stressinduced cardiomyopathy secondary to acute rheumatoid arthritis ...

Primary cardiac lymphomas (PCLs) are rare in immunocompetent patients. Their clinical presentation is highly variable and in case of cardiogenic shock, death is often inevitable with a diagnosis made post-mortem. We report the case of a 65-year old immunocompetent man with cardiogenic shock requiring emergent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Soon after, a diagnosis of PCL was given a...

Coronary artery spasm is not an uncommon event, but its pathophysiologic mechanisms followed by coronary artery vasospasm are not yet completely clarified. Coronary artery spasm can lead to sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias or heart block. In the cases of cardiogenic shock secondly to severe coronary artery spasm, IABP is sufficient to support the patient’s hemodynamics, in th...

Cardiogenic shock continues to be the most common cause of death in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. It has also been frequently associated with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and patients with co-morbidities. Cardiogenic shock presents with low systolic blood pressure and clinical signs of hypoperfusion. Rapid diagnosis and supportive therapy in the f...

To the Editor: A 70‐year‐old female was admitted for severe precordial pain. Electrocardiograph on admission showed ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with inferior wall, examination showed cardiogenic shock, noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) 50/30 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), and cardiac troponin I positive. She was diagnosed as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cardiogenic ...

For most patients the management of acute myocardial infarction associated with ST segment elevation is clear, 30 day mortality is reduced by approximately 25% by early reperfusion. Unfortunately the management of patients who present with cardiogenic shock is much less clear. In this group of patients mortality is high and seemingly unaltered by thrombolysis. For example in GISSI-1, the 21 day...

Cardiogenic shock remains the leading cause of death in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, despite many advances encountered in the last years in reperfusion, mechanical, and pharmacological therapies addressed to stabilization of the hemodynamic condition of these critical patients. Such patients require immediate initiation of the most effective therapy, as well as a conti...