Takotsubo syndrome: between evidence, myths, and misunderstandings

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiac condition characterized by transient wall motion abnormalities mostly of the left ventricle. First described in 1990, TS has gained substantial attention during the past 15 years. However, the disease is still underdiagnosed. Prospective studies on TS are largely lacking, and the condition remains incompletely understood. In addition, significant misconceptions and misunderstandings are evident, contributing to potentially severe underestimation. Here, we review important aspects of TS with a focus on pitfalls, misinterpretations, and knowledge gaps considered important during diagnosis and management of the disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00059-020-04906-2) contains the references to the tables. The article and additional material are available in the electronic full text archive at http://www.springermedizin.de/herz. You will find the additional material at the end of the article under “Supplementary Material”.