Recurrent Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Getting to the Root of the Problem.

BACKGROUND While takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a rare cardiomyopathy, recurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy (rTC) is even more so, occurring in only 4% of patients with TC. Treatment is based on expert opinion and includes standard heart failure treatment using beta blockers (BB) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI). We present a case of rTC demonstrating how using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can successfully prevent recurrence.

Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Caused by Simultaneous Occlusion of Two Culprit Arteries.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is usually caused by acute thrombosis of a single culprit vessel, whereas STEMI caused by the simultaneous thrombosis of multiple coronary arteries is rare. A review of 711 STEMI cases undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revealed that only 2.5% of patients had acute coronary thrombosis of multiple arteries.