Snow-Shoveling-Induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Zhang, L.; Marzo, K.P.
Connecticut Medicine 80(10): 589-591
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0010-6178 PMID: 29898332 Document Number: 686366
Snow shoveler's infarction is the phenomenon of increased incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in the days following a snow storm. Followingheavy snowfall, public awareness of snow- shoveling-induced MI is heightened by news cover- age. We report a case of show-shoveling-induced chest pain with ECG changes concerning for MI. Emergent angiography revealed normal coronary arteries and apical ballooning consistent with ta- kotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM). TCM, a transient cardiomyopathy, is often clinically indistinguishable from MI and is often induced by emotional/ physical stress. In conclusion, TCM is an alternative diagnosis to MI in patients presenting with chest pain after a period of heavy snowfall.