Can a pneumothorax break your heart?

Abstract

ABSTRAK ABSTRACTTakotsubo cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning is a condition characterized by transitory left ventricular dysfunction, affecting commonly postmenopausal females after foregoing acute emotional or physical stress. We report a case of a 63 year old female presenting with severe dyspnea and rightsided secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, initially treated with tube thoracostomy. Despite the fact that pneumothorax resolved, shortness of breath persisted and due to STsegment elevation and increased Troponin I levels, she was admitted to cardiac catheterization. A significant coronary stenosis was ruled out and the diagnosis of a Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was established. Electrocardiographic findings were normalized within three days and attributable to prolonged air leakage. A thoracoscopic apex resection followed by a partial parietal pleurectomy was performed. Although Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare syndrome, it should always be considered as a potential cardiac complication of a pneumothorax.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and the hope of specific biomarker

“…In this edition of the Medical Journal of Indonesia, Mavridis et al 1 reported a rare case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. In this case, a pneumothorax patients suffered continuous shortness of breath although pulmonary collapse has been relieved after sealed drainage.…”