Relationship between repolarization abnormalities and myocardial edema in atypical Tako-Tsubo syndrome

Abstract

In typical "apical" Tako-Tsubo syndrome (TTS), an association between dynamic T-wave inversion/QTc interval prolongation and myocardial edema as evidenced by cardiac magnetic resonance has been reported. We describe a patient with atypical "mid-ventricular" TTS who showed T-waves inversion/QTc prolongation confined to the lateral leads. Cardiac magnetic resonance revealed transmural myocardial edema with the highest signal intensity in the mid-lateral wall, in accordance with the ECG location of repolarization abnormalities. This finding indicates that the association of dynamic T-wave inversion/QTc interval prolongation with myocardial edema is demonstrable also in atypical variant of TTS and contributes to support the emerging concept of a cause-effect relationship between transient myocardial edema and dynamic repolarization changes.