An incidental danger: Left ventricular thrombus in takotsubo syndrome

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a potentially lethal condition characterized by transient regional systolic dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery ischemia. This syndrome predominantly affects postmenopausal women and is often preceded by physical or emotional stress and often presents with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Although the effects can be transient, takotsubo cardiomyopathy still results in an 8–12% rate of in-hospital mortality, with cardiogenic shock being the most common cause of death. There are known risk factors that increase the likelihood of a patient developing a left ventricular thrombus during the clinical course. The management of these cases is discussed in this report.