The role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in takotsubo syndrome

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is a transient form of left ventricular dysfunction associated with a distinctive contraction pattern in the absence of significant coronary artery disease triggered by stressful events. Several aspects of its clinical profile have been described but it still remains difficult to quickly establish the diagnosis at admission. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has achieved great improvements in the last years, which in turn has made this imaging technology more attractive in the diagnosis and evaluation of TS. With its superior tissue resolution and dynamic imaging capabilities, CMR is currently the most useful imaging technique in this setting. In this review, we propose to comprehensively define the role of CMR in the evaluation of patients with TS and to summarize a set of criteria suitable for diagnostic decision making in this clinical setting. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12968-016-0279-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.