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Pheochromocytoma-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare but life-threatening condition, caused by excessive plasma catecholamine levels, resulting in acute myocardial dysfunction. Clinical presentation includes a rapid development of heart failure due to regional wall motion abnormalities (most commonly affecting all mid to apical left ventricle (LV) wall segments) causing the "octopus-trap-like" LV shape. A 45-year-old female patient presented with acute cardiogenic shock of non-ischemic etiology. Her past medical history included a similar episode, which was followed by full recovery, but at this admission she required hemodynamic support with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The systolic function was restored, and further investigation revealed high 24-h urine metanephrine levels and a mass of the left adrenal gland, leading to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. After treatment with firstly alpha-blockers and then beta-blockers, the pheochromocytoma was surgically removed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright 2024, Karmioti et al.)

Myocardial cysts represent a miscellaneous and infrequent spectrum of conditions, with each of them coming from a different etiological background. Congenital myocardial cysts, neoplasia, cysts of infectious origin (bacterial, viral, or parasitic), and cardiac pathologies that may fake cystic content are all encompassed in this group. Although most patients are asymptomatic, some may occasionally present with obstruction, valvular dysfunction, or heart failure. Even more uncommon is the coexistence of a myocardial cyst with other extracardiac locations causing extracardiac symptoms. In this direction, the coexistence of a myocardial and endocranial cyst is extremely rare and can cause symptomatology from the affected organs (e.g., seizures). Cardiac investigation in this context is mainly dependent on non-invasive diagnostic modalities, and laboratory procedures. In this case report, we present a 26-year-old Congolese male admitted with dyspnea and epileptic seizures. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular and both mitral and tricuspid valve dysfunction and the presence of two myocardial cysts, while brain computed tomography showed an additional frontal cystic lesion. A precise diagnostic workup with a combination of non-invasive imaging, laboratory results, and epidemiology data assisted the diagnosis and guided the most suitable therapeutic choice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright 2023, Tsokkou et al.)

Myocarditis is a rare complication of therapy with mesalazine, a drug traditionally used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. We report a case of a 32-year-old man with a recent diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, who presented to our hospital with chest pain and elevated troponin, 12 days following initiation of mesalazine. Diagnosis of myocarditis was confirmed with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), which showed subepicardial gadolinium enhancement in the basal lateral/inferolateral segment of the heart. The patient's clinical condition improved upon stopping mesalazine and the follow-up CMR demonstrated resolution of the previous findings. Mesalazine can cause myocarditis early after initiation and clinicians should be aware of this rare yet serious cardiotoxic effect, as the discontinuation of the medication is the mainstay of treatment and leads to significant recovery., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright 2023, Kyriakou et al.)

The interconnections between brain and heart are increasingly recognized. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome", is characterized by a cardiovascular dysfunction provoked by an emotional or stressful situation. Similar events can trigger a neurological pathology called transient global amnesia. These conditions can occur simultaneously, although their precise connection is not well understood. We aim to present the case of a patient who experienced them and to review the relevant literature., Competing Interests: None to declare., (Copyright 2022, Papadis et al.)