Subsegmental pulmonary embolus as a precipitating factor for takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Known commonly as “broken heart syndrome,” takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a poorly understood heart condition that results in acute decompensation of cardiac function. We report a case of a 68-year-old female who developed acute shortness of breath status after chemotherapy and radiation treatment for Stage IV squamous-cell carcinoma. Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) revealed a single subsegmental pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, and left ventricular dilatation. Further evaluation revealed evidence of reversible cardiomyopathy with left ventricular apical ballooning, consistent with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. In reviewing the case, we cover the Mayo clinic criteria for diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and we consider pulmonary embolism as a precipitating factor.