Inverted Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after attempted suicidal hanging--two cases

We report two cases of "Inverted Takotsubo cardiomyopathy" following attempted suicidal hanging. Both the patients presented with heart failure and had desaturation 8-12h after the suicidal attempt. Electrocardiography (ECG) showed ischemic changes. On echocardiography, the left ventricle (LV) showed ballooning and hypokinesia of the basal segments with apical sparing. Both patients underwent coronary angiograms considering the possibility of acute coronary syndrome. However, their coronary angiograms were normal. After 3-4 days of hospitalization, both recovered; their ECG had reversed and the LV contractility was normal on echocardiography.