A case of transient mid-ventricular akinesia (a variant form of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) followed with I-123-beta-metyl-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid and I-123-meta-iodobenzyl-guanidine myocardial scintigraphy.

A 67-year-old woman without history of heart disease was admitted with chest oppression. Her electrocardiogram (ECG) at the time of admission showed ST segment elevation in leads V2-V6. Cardiac ultrasound revealed severe hypokinesis in mid to apical portion of anterior wall. Emergent coronary angiography showed normal coronary arteries. Left ventriculography (LVG) revealed akinesis of mid portion of anterior and inferior wall with hyperkinesis of apex and basal portion of anterior and inferior wall. Cardiac ultrasound examination 3 months later revealed improvement in LV contraction without mid-ventricular akisesia. The LVG performed 6 months later showed no focal asynergy. In I-123-beta-metyl-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid myocardial scintigraphy the discrepancy of uptake between apical and anterior and inferior wall of mid region (more uptake in apex) was reduced. Using I-123-meta-iodobenzyl-guanidine myocardial scintigraphy in acute phase, decreased uptake in the mid portion of anterior and inferior to lateral wall was seen in early and delayed images and that persisted through 6 months. As these findings resembled those of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy other than affected region, it is possible to say that basically they belong to same entity of disease but they are different in their phenotype.