Takotsubo syndrome after induction of general anesthesia: three clinical cases

Takotsubo syndrome (stress-induced cardiomyopathy, or apical ballooning syndrome) is a rare critical condition with approximate incidence of 0.00006% and relatively favorable prognosis. It is characterized by electrocardiographic signs of myocardial ischemia, as well as by severe left ventricular failure with intact coronary vessels. The literature on postoperative development of this disease is scarce. This paper presents three documented cases of takotsubo syndrome with favorable outcomes that developed just after the induction of general anesthesia.