A global perspective of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a progressive inherited heart disease characterized by ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death especially in the young. ARVC has been traditionally associated with the Mediterranean basin, as many seminal studies on the disease have originated from research groups of this region. Today, however, numerous ARVC registries from all over the world emphasize that the disease does not have a specific racial or geographical predilection. This work provides a review on the global perspective of ARVC

Heart failure due to 'stress cardiomyopathy': a severe manifestation of the opioid withdrawal syndrome.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to akinesia of the LV mid-apical segments (‘apical ballooning’) in the absence of critical coronary stenoses which can be complicated in the acute phase by heart failure, mitral regurgitation, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, or apical LV thrombosis. The syndrome is typically precipitated by intense emotional or physical stress; however, other causes of sympathetic overstimulation including administration of exogenous sympathomimetics or withdrawal of sympathetic antagonists can trigger TTC. We report the case of a patient who unexpectedly developed an ‘apical ballooning’ with severe reduction in the LV systolic function and heart failure after the withdrawal of methadone. The case supports the concept that increased sympathetic activity secondary to opioids withdrawal can trigger a stress-induced severe LV dysfunction. Physicians should be aware that the abrupt discontinuation of a long-term therapy with opioids may lead to serious cardiac complications. The administration of clonidine may be considered to prevent early clinical manifestations of addictive withdrawal, including TTC

Apical ballooning with mid-ventricular obstruction: the many faces of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a transient left ventricular dysfunction due to akinesia of the left-ventricular (LV) mid-apical segments (apical ballooning), which can cause severe reduction in LV systolic function. The typical clinical picture of TTC include chest pain, electrocardiographic changes consisting of mild ST-segment elevation followed by diffuse deep T-wave inversion, QTc interval prolongation and mild troponin release in the absence of significant coronary stenoses. The syndrome often affects post-menopausal women and is triggered by sympathetic overstimulation, like intense physical or emotional stress, so that it is called the “broken heart syndrome”. Although left-ventricular systolic dysfunction usually fully recovers within few days, heart failure can still complicate the early phase. We report a case of stress-induced cardiomyopathy that had full recovery after 4 weeks of follow up. The main electrocardiographic, angiographic and imaging features are discussed