Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in locally advanced rectosigmoid junction cancer: a case report

Background. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) occurs more frequently in cancer patients than in the general population. The triggers for TCM in cancer patients include not only the inflammatory state of the cancer itself, but also the significant emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis and the physical stress associated with invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures. Case presentation. We describe the case of a 54-year-old woman with histologically verified rectosigmoid junction cancer (cT4bcN2M0) complicated by acute intestinal obstruction. In the early postoperative period, a sudden drop in blood pressure, T-wave inversion and QT-interval prolongation on ECG, decrease in the left ventricle contractility and presence of wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography (ECHO), as well as an increase in biomarkers of myocardial damage were initially regarded as acute coronary syndrome, which was subsequently excluded according to the findings of coronary angiography, which did not reveal coronary artery obstruction. Taking into account the rapid and complete inverse dynamics of changes, acute myocardial infarction without coronary artery obstruction and acute myocarditis were excluded. Ultimately, the diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy was established.