A Case of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Developing after Surgery for Gastric Cancer

Norio Yokoigawa, Keita Kohno and Tunehide Osawa

Department of Surgery, Omichikai Morinomiya Hospital

An 84-year-old woman admitted for scirrhous gastric cancer underwent distal gastrectomy and Billroth II reconstruction without postoperative complications after surgery. On postoperative day 23, she suffered fever after a bath and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Because respiratory failure can occur suddenly with the onset of pulmonary edema, we started mechanical ventilation support. Ultrasonography showed akinesis from the apex to left ventrical. Electrocardiography showed ST-T elevation in V3 and V4 and a QS pattern in V1-3, which we diagnosed as heart failure. No elevation in enzymes was seen from the cardiac muscle and left ventricular function improved to almost normal within the 2 weeks. We conducted that she had had "Takotsubo cardiomyopathy", which is very similar to acute myocardial infarction but has a better prognosis. It is thus important to distinguish among diseases following surgery.

Key words
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, gastric cancer

Reprint requests
Norio Yokoigawa Department of Surgery, Omichikai Morinomiya Hospital
2-1-88 Morinomiya, Jyoto-ku, Osaka, 536-0025 JAPAN

Accepted
June 27, 2007

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