Chemotherapy-induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a rapidly reversible form of acute heart failure classically triggered by stressful events. It is associated with a distinctive left ventricular contraction pattern described as apical akinesis/ballooning with hyperdynamic contraction of the basal segments in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. The traditional paradigm has expanded to include other causes, in particular chemotherapeutic drugs. The literature increasingly suggests an association between cancer, chemotherapeutic drugs, and stress cardiomyopathy. Chemotherapy-induced takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a relatively new phenomenon, but one that merits detailed attention to the elucidation of possible mechanistic links.