A rare stress cardiomyopathy in a patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome
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Published on: November 9, 2017
M Boon1, P J W Dennesen, R F Veldkamp
1Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
We report on a 39-year-old woman who was intubated because of progressive respiratory failure due to muscle weakness and mucous plugging because of Guillain- Barré syndrome. Shortly after uncomplicated intubation she developed hypotension and a profound tachycardia. The electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia with nonspecific ST-T segment changes. Echocardiography showed akinesia of the apex, septum and inferior left ventricular wall with an estimated left ventricular ejection fraction of 10%. It was concluded that the patient was suffering from takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Following treatment, she experienced a complete recovery. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare complication in Guillain-Barré syndrome; eight other cases have been reported in the literature.
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