Takotsubo syndrome associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction: A case study

Abstract

The patient, a 68-year-old man, presented to our emergency room with chest pain, prompting an emergency cardiac catheterization due to elevated cardiac troponin-I levels. While no obvious coronary artery stenosis was found, there was evidence of apical ballooning wall motion in the left ventricle, leading to a diagnosis of takotsubo syndrome. Three months later, he occasionally experienced chest pain at rest, prompting us to conduct another cardiac catheterization. Left ventriculography showed normal contraction. Suddenly, he experienced chest pain accompanied by ST elevation, which occurred spontaneously. Subsequently, slow-flow phenomenon was observed in the intermediate part of left anterior descending artery (LAD). We promptly administered nitroglycerin to alleviate the symptoms. Following the diagnosis of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), he started calcium-channel blocker therapy and remained asymptomatic. One year later, we re-performed cardiac catheterization to further explore his condition. Acetylcholine provocation test was performed, which showed no epicardial coronary spasm. However, lactic acid elevation was observed in the coronary sinus blood sample. Additionally, a coronary physiological measurement in the LAD revealed a high index of microcirculatory resistance and low coronary flow reserve. Based on this series of clinical events, we inferred a significant contribution of CMD to the patient's condition.

Learning objective

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is increasingly recognized as an important cardiovascular disease, leading to myocardial ischemia, which is occasionally associated with takotsubo syndrome (TTS). In this report, we present a case of spontaneous CMD associated with TTS. This case emphasizes the significance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, highlighting the importance of recognizing CMD in patients with TTS.