Cardiac imaging: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Cardiac imaging: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Sample item

A 62-year-old woman develops chest pain and ST elevation after bereavement. Coronary angiography is normal, and left ventriculography shows apical ballooning with hyperkinetic basal segments. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy produces transient apical akinesia with basal hyperkinesia, giving an octopus-pot appearance, in the absence of obstructive coronary disease. Function usually recovers over weeks. An LAD occlusion would show a culprit lesion on angiography.

Option by option

  • A. Constrictive pericarditis

    Constrictive pericarditis shows a thickened calcified pericardium.

  • B. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy shows thick septum, not apical ballooning.

  • C. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (correct)

    Correct. Apical ballooning with normal coronaries is Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

  • D. Acute anterior myocardial infarction from LAD occlusion

    Angiography excludes an occluded LAD.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is C, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Stress cardiomyopathy produces transient apical akinesia with basal hyperkinesia, giving an octopus-pot appearance, in the absence of obstructive coronary disease.

Why is "Constrictive pericarditis" not the answer?

Constrictive pericarditis shows a thickened calcified pericardium.

Why is "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" not the answer?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy shows thick septum, not apical ballooning.

Why is "Acute anterior myocardial infarction from LAD occlusion" not the answer?

Angiography excludes an occluded LAD.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Cardiac imaging: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in Radiology. Function usually recovers over weeks. An LAD occlusion would show a culprit lesion on angiography.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Cardiac imaging: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.