Myocardial microvascular function assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance first-pass perfusion in patients with Takotsubo syndrome

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to explore microvascular function impairment using first-pass cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TS). Moreover, we explored myocardial microcirculation in patients with TS and related this to demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, clinical parameters, cardiac biomarkers, and cardiac function. Methods This retrospective study performed CMR first-pass perfusion scans in 42 consecutive patients with TS (37 females, 70.6 ± 9.4 years). Moreover, we included 44 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (33 females, 66.4 ± 10.5 years). CMR-derived myocardial microcirculation function was analyzed and compared between TS patients and controls. Results Compared to age-, sex-, and cardiovascular risk factors-matched control group, TS patients demonstrated a lower perfusion index (PI) (0.140 ± 0.060 vs. 0.182 ± 0.056, p = 0.001). In multivariable analysis with adjustment for demographic data and cardiovascular risk factors, an impairment in PI was independently associated with left ventricle ejection fraction (β coefficient = 3.793, p = 0.001) and T2 mapping (β coefficient = −4.316, p = 0.001). Conclusion TS patients exhibited myocardial microvascular dysfunction, which was non-invasively assessed using first-pass CMR. This impaired myocardial microvascular function was found to be independently associated with left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial edema.