Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2010 | Case report
Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy after administration of ergometrine following elective caesarean delivery: a case report
Authors:
Abdulgazi Keskin, Ralph Winkler, Bernd Mark, Andreas Kilkowski, Timm Bauer, Oliver Koeth, Selcan Camci, Bernd Cornelius, Günther Layer, Uwe Zeymer, Ralf Zahn
Published in:
Journal of Medical Case Reports
|
Issue 1/2010
Login to get access
Abstract
Introduction
Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (stress-induced cardiomyopathy or transient left ventricular ballooning) is characterized by clinical suspicion of an acute myocardial infarction with transient apical or midventricular dyskinesia of the left ventricle without significant coronary stenosis on angiography. The etiology of this disease remains obscure. One of the possible causes is myocardial ischemia induced by coronary vasospasm due to sympathetic activation. It has been hypothesized that the application of ergometrine could induce tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy.
Case presentation
We report the case of a 28-year-old Turkish woman who developed tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy after administration of ergometrine for release of placenta and prevention of bleeding during the post-partum phase in the course of an elective caesarean delivery. Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy was diagnosed by echocardiography and urgent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. A coronary angiography was not performed because of the absence of myocardial necrosis or ischemia and signs of myocarditis on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.
Conclusion
This life-threatening disease should be excluded in the differential diagnosis by comparing the symptoms with those of typical heart failure, particularly after use of ergometrine.