Objective: Cardiac arrest (CA) has been observed in some patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), most of whom had CA at the initial presentation of TTS. The objective of this report was to discuss the factors underlying the onset of this syndrome.Case presentation: A 72-year-old woman with refractory antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated lung disease was referred to our hospital. Twenty minutes after bronchoscopic examination, cardiopulmonary arrest suddenly occurred. Resuscitation immediately resumed her heartbeat and spontaneous breathing. Subsequent 12-lead electrocardiography, echocardiography, and left ventricular angiography revealed TTS.Conclusion: This case indicates that bronchoscopy can cause severe TTS, especially in patients with systemic inflammation.