7th March 2024

Signs and symptoms

As alluded to above, takotsubo cardiomyopathy typically occurs in the context of a significant physiological stressor or emotional event, so the history will normally be suggestive of this. 

Subsequent to this, the patient will classically complain of significant chest pain, which may well sound ischaemic in nature – crushing, central, causing shortness of breath – which can progress to acute left ventricular failure and pulmonary oedema. This occurs due to a sudden reduction in the function of the left ventricle, typically the mid and apical portions, manifesting as worsening shortness of breath, orthopnoea and signs of pulmonary congestion with crepitations on examination.