Selective Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors-Induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

CONTEXT: Takotsubo translates to octopus pot in Japanese. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is characterized by a transient regional systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. Catecholamine excess is the one most studied and favored theories explaining the pathophysiology of TTC. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 52-year-old Hispanic female admitted for venlafaxine-induced TTC with a review literature on all the cases of Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)-associated TTC published so far. CONCLUSION: SNRI inhibit the reuptake of catecholamines into the presynaptic neuron, resulting in a net gain in the concentration of epinephrine and serotonin in the neuronal synapses and causing iatrogenic catecholamine excess, ultimately leading to TTC

Delayed Spontaneous Recanalization of Chronic Total Occlusion of Left Anterior Descending Artery after Attempted but Failed Revascularization During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary artery remains the Achilles heel of the interventional cardiologist and is present in a significant proportion of referrals for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG); however, with the development and standardization of modern CTO recanalization techniques, it has been able to achieve excellent success while coping with lesions of increasing complexity. Nevertheless, failure to recanalize despite the development of new techniques still remains one of the challenges in the field of interventional cardiology. Spontaneous recanalization has been described in nonocclusive coronary artery dissections in detail; none has addressed the possibility of spontaneous recanalization after failed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We report a case of spontaneous but delayed recanalization of CTO of left anterior descending artery 3 years after attempted but failed revascularization during PCI

Complete heart block as an initial presentation of aortic dissection

We report a case emphasizing the importance of including type A acute aortic dissection in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with compete heart block, where emergent surgery is the treatment of choice and any delay in diagnosis and treatment can be catastrophic

Embolized prostatic brachytherapy seeds mimicking acute chest pain syndromes

A 59-year-old male with a history of nonobstructive coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer presented to the hospital with 1-day history of pleuritic chest pain. Initial workup for acute coronary event was unremarkable. Chest X-ray revealed multiple small radial densities which were linear and hyperdense, consistent with embolization of metallic seeds to the pulmonary circulation. The patient was noted to have had radioactive metallic seeds implanted for prostate cancer 6 months ago. Diagnosis of pulmonary embolization of prostatic seeds is challenging as they frequently present with chest pain mimicking acute coronary syndromes

Left ventricular noncompaction diagnosed following Graves′ disease

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare genetic cardiomyopathy. Clinical manifestations are variable; patients may present with heart failure symptoms, arrhythmias, and systemic thromboembolism. However, it can also be asymptomatic. When asymptomatic, LVNC can manifest later in life after the onset of another unrelated condition. We report a case of LVNC which was diagnosed following a hyperthyroid state secondary to Graves′ disease. The association of LVNC with other noncardiac abnormalities including neurological, hematological, and endocrine abnormalities including hypothyroidism has been described in isolated case reports before. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LVNC diagnosed following exacerbation in contractile dysfunction triggered by Graves′ disease