Relationship between coronary flow reserve and recovery of regional left ventricular function in patients with tako-tsubo-like transient left ventricular dysfunction

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the relationship between coronary flow reserve and functional recovery of left ventricular wall motion in patients with tako-tsubo-like transient left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS: Coronary flow reserve was measured using the Doppler guide wire technique in the left descending coronary artery in nine consecutive patients (three men, six women, mean age 71 +/- 11 years) with tako-tsubo-like transient left ventricular dysfunction. Regional wall motion was analyzed to estimate anterior wall motion score index (anterior WMSI) by transthoracic echocardiography on admission and 3 weeks after the onset of symptoms. RESULTS: Anterior WMSI was 2.2 +/- 0.4 on admission and improved to 1.4 +/- 0.5 at 3 weeks later (p < 0.001). Coronary flow reserve on admission was not correlated to the anterior WMSI on admission (r = 0.19, p = 0.63). However, coronary flow reserve on admission was correlated to the improvement in anterior WMSI (r = 0.74, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Coronary microcirculation is damaged in acute phase of tako-tsubo-like transient left ventricular dysfunction. The severity of coronary microvascular dysfunction influences the degree of left ventricular wall motion recovery.