151 Usefulness of contrast echocardiography in Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy

Background Assessment of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is of importance. Biplane LV angiography well-characterizes this dysfunction, but is invasive. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the reliability of contract echocardiography in TTC. Methods We prospectively studied 50 women divided into 2 groups: 25 consecutive patients with TTC (group 1) and 25 patients with proved coronary artery disease (CAD) (group 2). Groups 2 was age- and sex-matched with group 1. All patients underwent coronary arteriography, biplane LV angiography, conventional transthoracic echocardiography and contrast transthoracic echocardiography less than 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. Gold standard for LV systolic function assessment was LV angiography. Results Mean age of patients with TTC was 73 ± 11 years. Mean angiographic LVEF was 38 ± 9%. LV segments were well-classified as having (or not) wall motion abnormalities in 70% and 88% by observer 1 using conventional and contrast echocardiography, respectively (p  Conclusion We demonstrated that contrast echocardiography is an accurate imaging method for a non-invasive assessment of left ventricular systolic function in TTC.