Pericarditis-complicated takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

A 64-year-old woman with medication-controlled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was admitted to our hospital complaining of chest pains. An electrocardiogram showed elevated ST-segments in the inferior leads, and inverted T-waves in the left precordial leads. Left ventriculography demonstrated apical ballooning, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated apical ballooning of the left ventricle, and moderate pericardial effusion. The patient was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), complicated by pericarditis. In the literature, autoimmune disorders have been associated with TTC. We suggest that this patient's pericardial effusion was caused by TTC, and that her coexisting RA might have played a role in the etiology of the significant pericardial fluid accumulation.