[A case of transient left ventricular apical ballooning with an unusual complication]

A retrospective study of patients with acute myocardial ischemia syndrome, mainly middle-aged and elderly women, was published in july 2001. The main features of acute myocardial ischemia were typical triggering circumstances, initial ECG mimicking acute myocardial infarction (AMI with transient appearance of Q waves and large negative T waves), mild or no enzymatic changes, and a combination of a normal coronary angiogram and transient left ventricular apical dyskinesia that normalized within days. The clinical course and prognosis were completely different from those of conventional AMI, with an increased number of acute-phase complications such as acute pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, and ventricular tachycardia. Despite this, the long-term outcome was better than that of AMI. We report a typical case diagnosed in a Spanish woman who developed embolic stroke, a complication not previously described, most likely related with her apical dyskinesia.