Recurrent form of neurogenic stunned myocardium: Is myocardial adrenergic receptor distribution a dynamic process?

Abstract Neurogenic stunned myocardium mediated by stress-induced catecholamine acute release is considered as the central causative mechanism of transient left ventricular dysfunction syndrome (TVLDS). Interindividual differences in both LV β-adrenergic receptor density and sympathetic innervation were proposed to explain the atypical forms of TVLDS. Whether this distribution is independent of age or may vary during ageing still remains unclear. We report a recurrent form of TLVDS characterized by two different patterns. Whilst myocardial receptor distribution or sympathetic innervation appears to follow a dynamic process, the precise determinants of these variations remain largely unknown.