Independent Impact of RV Involvement on In-Hospital Outcome of Patients With Takotsubo Syndrome

Abstract

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute clinical condition characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction and reversible heart failure, the pathogenetic mechanism of which remains unclear. Although left ventricular apical ballooning is the most frequent morphological pattern, other variant forms have been described (1). In addition, right ventricular involvement (RVi), characterized by the presence of right ventricular (RV) apical dysfunction (biventricular ballooning), has been documented using echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. However, the prevalence, clinical profile, and in-hospital course of TTS patients with RVi are still not well defined. To date, although RVi has been associated with a higher complication rate (2), no correlation with short-term cardiac morbidity or mortality has been reported. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and prognostic impact of RVi in TTS.