Mitchell and Marquis BMC Clinical Pathology (2017) 17:4
DOI 10.1186/s12907-017-0045-0
CASE REPORT Open Access
Can takotsubo cardiomyopathy be
diagnosed by autopsy? Report of a
presumed case presenting as cardiac
rupture
Andrew Mitchell1* and François Marquis2
Abstract
Background: Takostsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy (TC) is a clinical syndrome featuring transient left ventricular
dysfunction and wall-motion abnormalities, usually following emotional or physical stress. The diagnosis of TC
depends on fulfillment of multiple clinical criteria. Although the pathogenesis has not been firmly established,
myocardial cathecholamine toxicity is thought to represent a primary mechanism.
The vast majority of patients with TC survive. However, a rare cause of death in TC is myocardial rupture. All
documented cases of rupture have followed known, recently diagnosed or suspected TC. However, in this report we
propose that an initial diagnosis of TC with myocardial rupture can be made by autopsy when supported by a
compelling clinical history and appropriate histologic changes in the myocardium.
Case presentation: An 82 year-old female underwent elective craniotomy for a recently discovered craniopharyngioma.
The surgery was uneventful; the initial postoperative course featured diabetes insipidus and delirium. With no
prior warning, on the third postoperative day she was found unresponsive in bed. Two prolonged cardiopulmonary
resuscitations were successful, however, during a third arrest maneuvers were stopped at the request of the family. An
autopsy was conducted which revealed hemopericardium due to cardiac rupture. Coronary artery atherosclerosis, valve
disease, and renal and extra-renal pheochromocytoma were absent. Microscopy of the myocardium showed a recent,
localized, transmural myocardial infarction and diffuse changes (all four ventricles) typical of cathecholamine
cardiomyopathy. The findings were considered compatible with TC with secondary myocardial rupture.
Conclusion: An initial diagnosis of TC with myocardial rupture can be reasonably made by autopsy in the context of
an appropriate clinical history and the presence of the characteristic microscopic features of cathecholamine excess in
the myocardium.
Keywords: Takotsubo, Stress, Cardiomyopathy, Autopsy, Cardiac, Rupture
Background 1) transient abnormality of left ventricular wall motion
Takostsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy (TC) is a well- beyond the territory of a single epicardial coronary
recognized clinical syndrome featuring transient left artery, 2) absence of obstructive coronary coronary
ventricular dysfunction and wall-motion abnormalities, artery disease or angiographic evidence of acute plaque
usually following emotional or physical stress [1]. rupture, 3) presence of new ECG abnormalities or ele-
Elderly women are typically affected. A summary of the vation in cardiac troponin levels, and 4) absence of
Mayo Clinic criteria for diagnosis of the syndrome are: pheochromocytoma and myocarditis [1, 2]. Concerning
pathogenesis, neurogenically mediated coronary micro-
* Correspondence: plaines@me.com vascular spasm and direct myocyte injury due to cathe-
1
Department of Anatomic Pathology and Cytology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont
Hospital, 5415 Boulevard de L’Assomption, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4,
cholamine excess have been invoked [2, 3]. Although
Canada most patients survive, a recent study has shown that
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
© The Author(s). 2017 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
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the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver
(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
Mitchell and Marquis BMC Clinical Pathology (2017) 17:4 Page 2 of 5
TC is associated with significant morbidity and mortal- cardiac arrest occurred in the form of sudden pulseless
ity [2]. Cardiac rupture following TC is uncommon, ventricular tachycardia. The initial cardiac shock provided
with at least sixteen well-documented cases reported successful defibrillation. Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound
[4–8]. We report herein a presumed case of TC with showed a small pericardial effusion (less than 1 cm),
cardiac rupture diagnosed by autopsy. The diagnosis is normal left ventricular function, and a dilated and
supported by the compelling clinical circumstances and diffusely hypokinetic right ventricle. Shortly thereafter,
the microscopic findings of cathecholamine cardiotoxicity. sudden bradycardia with loss of cardiac output developed.
During the following third resuscitation attempt cardiac
Case presentation massage and an external pacemaker resulted in no return
An 82 year old white female underwent elective craniot- of cardiac output. At this point the family requested that
omy for resection of a recently discovered craniopharyn- all maneuvers be stopped. Permission was granted to
gioma that had presented as diplopia. Her medical perform an autopsy.
history included mild dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism and
osteoporosis. Preoperative evaluation revealed an active Autopsy findings
lifestyle with no history of cardiac symptoms. A baseline A complete autopsy was performed. Hemopericardium
ECG showed a left bundle branch block; no previous (approximately one liter) was present. The heart weighed
ECG was available for comparison. An endocrinological 360 g (predicted: 295 g, 95% confidence limits: 200–435
profile was carried out one week before surgery. The g) [9]. A slit-like rupture of the myocardium at the base
serum prolactin was elevated at 60 ng/mL (reference of the right ventricule associated with epicardial
values: 5–24). The following were normal: serum IGF-1 hemorrhage was identified (Fig. 1a). Of note, no external
64 ng/mL (33–185), serum TSH 1.86 mIU/L (0.3-4.2), cause for rupture such as a fractured rib was identified;
FSH/LH ratio 4/0.8, serum cortisol 385 nmol/mol the macroscopic features typical of a recent transmural
creatinine (289–35105). The serum sodium was myocardial infarction surrounding or near the rupture
140 mmol/L (135–145). Other preoperative baseline site were absent. Meticulous examination of the coron-
laboratory values were normal. ary arteries revealed absence of atheroma or acute
The surgery was uneventful. Intravenous hydrocortisone thrombus. The cardiac valves were normal. The other
was begun according to post-craniotomy protocol. The organs were entirely normal. Adrenal and extra-adrenal
initial postoperative course featured diabetes insipidus and pheochromocytoma were absent.
delirium. The sodium level rose to 148 accompanied by Microscopic examination of sections from the rupture
diuresis reaching 1 L per hour. Desmopressin was site showed epicardial hemorrhage and contraction band
commenced; the sodium leveled descended to 139 on the necrosis with heavy polymorphonuclear leukocyte
second postoperative day. Of note, neither cardiac infiltrates typical of a recent acute myocardial infarction,
arrhythmia nor hemodynamic instability was documented. approximately 48–72 h [10] (Fig. 1b). The unusual site
On the third postoperative day she was found of the rupture, the absence of macroscopic features of
unresponsive in bed with agonal breathing. Prolonged an associated myocardial infarction, and the entire
cardiopulmonary resuscitation following standard ACLS absence of coronary artery vascular disease, provoked a
protocol was promptly started. The patient was stabi- thorough examination of the rest of the myocardium.
lized; an emergency head CT scan was performed which All thirty-four sections of grossly normal myocardium
showed a small subdural hematoma. Then, approxi- from the left and right ventricules revealed the following
mately ninety minutes after the first episode, a second microscopic changes: areas of interstitial edema with
Fig. 1 Macroscopic and microscopic features of the ruptured heart. a The probe passes through the rupture site at the base of the right ventricle.
There is significant pericardial hemorrhage. The tricuspid valve is seen centrally. b High power photomicrograph of the infarct showing myocardial
necrosis and a heavy polymorphonuclear infiltrate
Mitchell and Marquis BMC Clinical Pathology (2017) 17:4 Page 3 of 5
patchy mononuclear cell infiltrates of lymphocytes and biopsies of TC patients with those of myocardial biopsies
macrophages, and rare polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and autopsy hearts of patients with conditions known to
mast cells and eosinophils. These were found within the be associated with cathecholamine excess, including pheo-
myocardium and also around intra-myocardial blood chromcytoma [11], acute emotional stress [3], subarach-
vessels (Fig. 2). There was no evidence of myocardial noid hemorrhage and epilepsy [2]. Animal models of
fibrosis. As these modifications involved the left and cathecholamine excess [11] have also demonstrated the
right ventricules diffusely, there was no correlation with same features. We believe such alternative etiologies of ex-
the territory of an individual coronary artery. The findings cess cathecholamines can be excluded in our patient. She
were considered compatible with cathecholamine cardio- was lifelong normotensive and there was no history of epi-
myopathy. The final autopsy diagnosis was of takotsubo lepsy. At autopsy the adrenal glands were normal and an
cardiomyopathy with secondary myocardial rupture. extra-adrenal paraganglioma was not identified. (As there
were no previous signs or symptoms suggesting cathecho-
Discussion lamine excess, testing for 24 h urine cathecholamines had
The pathogenesis of TC is considered to involve neuro- never been performed. Such testing is not routinely done
genically mediated coronary microvascular spasm and dir- prior to the type of surgery she underwent).
ect myocyte injury due to cathecholamine excess [1, 2]. Descriptions of myocardial cathecholamine toxicity
Evidence that cathecholamine excess is pathogenic derives include the following: in an autopsy study of 26 patients
from overlap of the histologic findings in myocardial with pheochromocytoma Van Vliet et al. found evidence
Fig. 2 Microscopic features of the uninfarcted heart. a, b, c Medium power views showing interstitial edema with mononuclear cell infiltrates.
d, e, f High power views of the mononuclear interstitial infiltrates. Rare polymorphonuclear leukocytes and eosinophils are present
Mitchell and Marquis BMC Clinical Pathology (2017) 17:4 Page 4 of 5
of “active catecholamine myocarditis” in 58% of cases. findings of acute myocardial infarction: polymorpho-
“Disseminated focal lesions”, found in the myocardium nuclear cell infiltrates and myocardial necrosis. However,
of all four heart chambers, were associated with diffuse in two cases “mononuclear lymphocytic infiltrations” [14]
myocardial edema and were characterised by focal myo- and “a mild mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate of lympho-
cardial fiber degeneration and necrosis with “foci of cytes and neutrophils” [6] were also described, raising in
inflammatory cells that were predominately histiocytes the latter “the possibility of an underlying resolving myo-
but also included plasma cells and occasionally poly- carditis”. Although the pathogenesis of myocardial infarc-
morphonuclear leukocytes”. Lesions most often occurred tion with rupture in TC is unknown, it is plausible that
around small blood vessels [11]. Wittstein et al. analysed infarction may represent an ischemic epiphenomenon
the histologic findings in five patients undergoing myo- related to microvascular spasm [12].
cardial biopsy following admission to a coronary care Given the above observations, there appear to be cir-
unit with chest pain or symptomatic heart failure follow- cumstances in which the diagnosis of TC can reasonably
ing acute emotional stress. In four cases there were be made post mortem. This is pertinent as a recent
“interstitial infiltrates consisting primarily of mono- study found that TC is associated with significant mor-
nuclear lymphocytes and macrophages and contraction bidity and mortality: 7.1% of patients admitted to hos-
bands without myocyte necrosis”. In the other case there pital suffer a major cardiac or cerebrovascular event
was “an extensive inflammatory lymphocytic infiltrate within 30 days, the death rate from all causes is 5.6% per
and multiple foci of contraction-band myocyte necrosis” patient year, and the rate of major cardiac and cerebro-
[3]. Akashi et al. observed “in most patients…interstitial vascular events is 9.9% per patient year [2]. Patients with
infiltrates consisting primarily of mononuclear lympho- TC may therefore come to autopsy more frequently than
cytes, leukocytes, and macrophages; myocardial fibrosis; previously realized, and it is conceivable that the aut-
and contraction bands with and without overt myocyte opsy, albeit exceptionally, may be the first and only
necrosis” [12]. In all instances, the findings differ signifi- opportunity to make the diagnosis.
cantly from the dense polymorphonuclear infiltrates and
necrosis typical of acute myocardial infarction.
Conclusions
The differential diagnosis of the autopsy findings in
We conclude, based on the findings in this case, that
our case includes “acute myocardial infarction-like syn-
although TC is classically defined by clinical criteria it
drome with normal coronary arteries”, viral or post-viral
can be diagnosed at autopsy, as it has features that can
cardiomyopathy, and a toxic or hypersensitivity drug
be assessed by traditional pathologic evaluation, includ-
reaction [13]. Although all of these entities may have
ing distinctive diffuse mononuclear cell infiltrates, and
myocardial mononuclear lymphocytic infiltrates, all typ-
the rare but well described occurrence of myocardial in-
ically present with signs and symptoms lasting several
farction with rupture. The clinical features of our case
hours to days in the first entity to a few weeks to
are those of a typical TC patient, and these, in correl-
months in the others. Clinically, our patient had been
ation with the macroscopic and microscopic features of
afebrile, there had been no viral prodrome and she had
the heart, allow for a reasonably confident diagnosis of
not complained of dyspnea or chest pain before or after
TC. However, it is important to note that our case repre-
the surgery. In the months preceding surgery she had
sents a single preliminary observation. To confirm that
gone about her usual activities and traveled. Further-
autopsy diagnosis of TC is indeed feasible will require
more, evidence of left ventricular dilatation was absent
further reports of additional well documented cases.
both by the point-of-care cardiac ultrasound and at aut-
Lastly, it is important to note the considerable value to
opsy. We consider this lack of any clinical abnormalities
the family and treating physicians of establishing by autopsy
preceding the fatal episode as being consistent with TC.
the cause of this upsetting sudden and unforeseen death.
Cardiac rupture following TC is uncommon, with at
least sixteen well-documented cases reported [4–8]. Abbreviations
(Templin et al. in their recent review of 1750 patients with ACLS: Advanced cardiac life support; ECG: Electrocardiogram; TC: Takotsubo
TC reported ventricular rupture in 0.2% of cases, but did cardiomyopathy
not describe the pathologic findings [2]). In all cases the
patients were female (age range 62–90), of which two sur- Acknowledgements
None.
vived. Autopsies were performed in seven cases; the others
were diagnosed by catheterization or echocardiography.
Funding
Rupture sites included the ventricular septum, left ven- None.
tricular free wall (anterior, posterior, and apex), and the
right ventricular wall. The histology of the rupture sites Availability of data and materials
was reported in six cases. All showed the typical histologic Not applicable.
Mitchell and Marquis BMC Clinical Pathology (2017) 17:4 Page 5 of 5
Authors’ contributions 10. Schoen FJ. The heart. In: Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N, editors. Robbins and
AM and FM contributed equally to preparation of the manuscript. Both authors Cotran pathologic basis of disease. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders;
read and approved the final manuscript. 2005. p. 555–618.
11. Van Vliet PD, Burchell HB, Titus JL. Focal myocarditis associated with
Competing interests pheochromocytoma. N Engl J Med. 1966;274:1102–11087.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 12. Akashi YJ, Goldstein DS, Barbaro G, Ueyama T. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy:
a new form of acute, reversible heart failure. Circulation. 2008;11:2754–62.
Consent for publication 13. Cooper Jr LT. Myocarditis. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:1526–38.
Written consent for publication was obtained from the patient’s family and is 14. Sacha J, Maselko J, Wester A, Szudrowicz Z, Pluta W. Left ventricular apical
available for consultation by the editor. rupture caused by takotsubo cardiomyopathy-comprehensive pathological
heart investigation. Circ J. 2007;71:982–5.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The Ethics Committee of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital reviewed our
request to publish this autopsy case, and granted permission based on its
scientific merit.
Publisher’s Note
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Author details
1
Department of Anatomic Pathology and Cytology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont
Hospital, 5415 Boulevard de L’Assomption, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4,
Canada. 2Departments of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415
Boulevard de L’Assomption, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada.
Received: 14 April 2016 Accepted: 29 March 2017
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