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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Etymology:

Named in the 1990s by Japanese doctors who first recognized this disease, after the Japanese word 蛸壷 (takotsubo, “octopus pot/trap”), because of the unusual pot-like shape of the stricken heart, particularly of the left ventricle, in the disease.

Definition:

A type of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in which there is a sudden temporary weakening of the myocardium. It usually appears after a significant stressor, either physical or emotional; when caused by the latter, the condition is sometimes called broken heart syndrome.

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