Takotsubo syndrome due to occupational stress in a physician

Occupational Takotsubo syndrome ("broken heart syndrome") has been reported very rarely, and only twice among healthcare personnel; the present case being, to our knowledge, the third documented occurrence. Here, we describe the case of a 57-year-old female neonatologist who developed the syndrome after 2 years of intense work-related stress, culminating in the management of a particularly delicate emergency. The diagnosis was made through cardiac imaging techniques that demonstrated the typical deformation ("ballooning") of the left ventricle that gives the syndrome its name (takotsubo in Japanese means "octopus trap"). The case draws attention to the risk of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy as a consequence of intense work-related psychophysical stress and to the need for hygiene and organizational measures to prevent both mental and cardiological disorders. Female emergency physicians should be considered a professional category at greater risk of developing the syndrome.