Marabotti C, Venturini E, Marabotti A, Pingitore A. Delayed multifocal recurrent stress-induced cardiomyopathy after antidepressants withdrawal.
Heart Lung 2014;
43:225-30. [PMID:
24794783 DOI:
10.1016/j.hrtlng.2014.03.003]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is an acute disease characterized by a large left ventricular apical dyskinesia ("apical ballooning"), triggered by intense emotional or physical stress, acute illnesses or, rarely, by alcohol or opiates withdrawal. Connection to stress and apical asynergy suggest a catecholamine-mediated pathogenesis. We recently observed a typical apical stress-induced cardiomyopathy, arising two weeks after a long-lasting antidepressant treatment withdrawal and recurring, a week later, with evidence of inferior wall akinesia. The reported case has several unusual features: 1) both episodes were not preceded by relevant triggering event (except antidepressant discontinuation); 2) early heterozonal relapse was observed; 3) the latency between antidepressant discontinuation and stress-induced cardiomyopathy onset is unusually long. The lack of relevant triggering stress and the evidence of multifocal asynergies could support the hypothesis of a non-catecholaminergic pathogenesis. Moreover, the long latency after antidepressant withdrawal may suggest that prolonged antidepressant treatments may have delayed pathological consequences, possibly related to their known neuroplastic effects.
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