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Pathogenic Mechanisms Of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Or Broken Heart Syndrome, Devorah Leah Borisute

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a temporary heart-wall motion abnormality with the clinical presentation of a myocardial infarction. Found predominantly in postmenopausal women, TTC most often appears with apical ballooning and mid-ventricle hypokinesis. Often induced by an emotional or physical stress, TTC is reversible and excluded as a diagnosis in patients with acute plaque rupture and obstructive coronary disease. The transient nature and positive prognosis of this cardiomyopathy leaves a dilemma as to what precipitates it. This paper explores the theories of the pathogenesis of TTC including coronary artery spasm, microvascular dysfunction, and catecholamine excess. A thorough analysis of the pathogenesis …