Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after general anesthesia for eye surgery

RECENTLY, Dote et at(1) described in Japanese patients a novel type of cardiomyopathy, the Takotsubo syndrome, an entity that resembles an acute myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries. Because early left ventriculography or echocardiography reveals peculiar wall motion abnormalities and a balloon-shaped left ventricle, this syndrome was named Takotsubo, the name of a traditional Japanese octopus pot with a wide base and a tapered top.(1-3) We describe a case with postoperative apical ballooning of the left ventricle, the Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Because this syndrome may mimic an acute myocardial infarction, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial.