Abstract 17222: Warriors Takotsubo Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or "broken heart syndrome," is characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction, typically triggered by negative emotions or physical stressors. It presents with symptoms similar to acute coronary syndrome, but with no associated coronary artery stenosis. “Happy Takotsubo” syndrome, triggered by intense positive emotions, is an uncommon variant and presents a unique challenge in clinical diagnosis. Case Presentation: An 86-year-old woman who was an avid Golden State Warriors fan developed sudden-onset pressure-like chest pain following intense excitement over the Golden State Warriors winning a critical basketball game. In the emergency department, the patient was found to have a high sensitivity troponin greater than 4,000 and ST elevations in leads V3 to V6, meeting STEMI criteria. Emergent cardiac catheterization revealed no coronary artery stenosis. Echocardiography was significant for apical ballooning of the left ventricle, consistent with TTS (Figure 1). Symptoms resolved following low-dose beta-blocker therapy, and the patient was discharged after 24 hours of observation. Repeat echocardiography eleven days later demonstrated near-resolution of the apical ballooning (Figure 2). Discussion: This case highlights "happy Takotsubo" syndrome as a unique presentation of TTS triggered by intense positive emotions. In this case, the patient developed TTS after experiencing excitement over a Golden State Warriors victory. By sharing this case, we aim to contribute to the existing literature and enhance knowledge about this uncommon presentation.