Very late recurrence of Takotsubo syndrome

Recurrence of the Takotsubo syndrome is possible, and in the majority of cases it occurs within 4 years. The present report is focused on a case of the Takotsubo syndrome recurrence after 10 years. The patient had been admitted for the first time in 1999 with a diagnosis of "non-q wave acute anterolateral myocardial infarction." Ten years later, she was readmitted for suspected acute myocardial infarction; coronary arteries, however, were normal, and the left ventricular angiogram demonstrated apical ballooning typical for the Takotsubo syndrome. It is worth noting that the clinical presentation and the ECG were the same on both occasions; in addition, both events were triggered by an emotional stress.