Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a chronic spinal cord injury patient with autonomic dysreflexia: A case report

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a temporary heart condition often triggered by stress. In TC, the heart's left ventricle weakens, resembling a pot used to catch octopus. Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a condition common in spinal cord injury patients, where the body overreacts to stimuli below the injury level, causing high blood pressure and other symptoms. This case report discusses a patient with chronic tetraplegia who developed TC after a severe episode of AD, suggesting a link between the two conditions.

• 1
  A patient with chronic spinal cord injury developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) following a severe episode of autonomic dysreflexia (AD).
• 2
  The patient's ejection fraction, a measure of heart function, significantly improved within three days of treatment, supporting the diagnosis of TC.
• 3
  Standard treatments for TC and hypertension were difficult to administer due to the patient's pre-existing low blood pressure, requiring careful management.