Comprehensive invasive evaluation of coronary microcirculation in patients with Takotsubo syndrome

The etiology and pathophysiology of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) remain a matter of debate. In murine models of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), abnormalities in myocardial perfusion led to the development of TTS. Importantly, TTS was reversible when normal perfusion was restored. However, in clinical practice, the assessment of coronary microcirculation in patients with TTS has primarily relied on non-invasive or indirect, angiography-derived methods.

For the first time, we performed invasive microcirculatory assessment, by both validated techniques currently available in the catheterization laboratory, namely intracoronary bolus and continuous thermodilution, in patients with TTS, upon hospital admission and at short term follow-up. Our findings demonstrate that CMD was consistently present in all patients upon hospital admission, as assessed by both techniques. At a median follow-up of 3 months, after the recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction, two third of patients no longer exhibited CMD.

These findings support the hypothesis that an acute and transient worsening in coronary microvascular function plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of TTS.