Rethinking Tako-tsubo Cardiomyopathy: The Contribution of Myocardial Pathology and Molecular Imaging.

Background: Despite substantial research, the mechanisms behind stress Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) remain rather elusive.

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to provide a detailed review of the mainstream factors underlying the pathophysiology of TTC, highlighting the novel contributions of molecular pathology and in-vivo molecular imaging.

Methods: A careful literature review selected all papers discussing TTC, specifically those providing novel insights from myocardial pathology and cardiac molecular imaging.

Can the reversible regional wall motion abnormalities on stress gated Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT predict a future cardiac event?

Background: Myocardial stunning has recently been demonstrated by use of stress gated technetium 99m sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. However, its prognostic value is less well determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of reversible regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMAs).