Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a patient with esophageal cancer: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has increasingly been reported in the medical literature in recent years. Much is still unknown regarding risk factors and clinical relationships. We contribute this case report to the growing set of literature on the topic. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with esophageal cancer who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a form of reversible heart failure, and we present a review of the literature. Patients present with symptoms similar to an acute coronary syndrome; however, cardiac catheterization reveals patent coronary arteries, and symptoms of heart failure resolve completely within weeks. CONCLUSION: It is important that clinicians consider takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the differential diagnosis of heart failure and gain a basic understanding of the clinical presentation and diagnosis.