Broken heart syndrome: a risk of teenage rhinoplasty.

"Broken heart" syndrome is a rare phenomenon characterized by transient ballooning of the left ventricle and chronic heart failure, usually presenting in postmenopausal women. It is formally known as acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy and, although described in the cardiology literature, it has not been previously described in plastic surgery patients. It is thought to occur secondary to increased catecholamine levels. This case report outlines two instances of the syndrome occurring in teenage girls undergoing cosmetic rhinoplasty.