Challenges in the diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy: a case series

Abstract Background Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is usually characterized by overt heart failure, but other clinical scenarios are possible, sometimes making the diagnosis challenging. Case summary We report a case series of four patients with PPCM. The first patient presented with acute heart f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European heart journal : case reports 2021-02, Vol.5 (2), p.ytab001
Main Authors: Chirillo, Fabio, Baritussio, Anna, Cucchini, Umberto, Toniolli, Ermanno, Polo, Angela, Iavernaro, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aneurysms
Cardiomyopathy
Care and treatment
Case Series
Diagnostic imaging
Health aspects
Heart
Heart attack
Heart diseases
Tachycardia
Thromboembolism
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Summary:Abstract Background Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is usually characterized by overt heart failure, but other clinical scenarios are possible, sometimes making the diagnosis challenging. Case summary We report a case series of four patients with PPCM. The first patient presented with acute heart failure due to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Following medical treatment, LV function recovered completely at 1 month. The second patient had systemic and pulmonary thromboembolism, secondary to severe biventricular dysfunction with biventricular thrombi. The third patient presented with myocardial infarction with non-obstructed coronary arteries and evidence of an aneurysm of the mid-anterolateral LV wall. The fourth patient, diagnosed with PPCM 11 years earlier, presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia. A repeat cardiac magnetic resonance, compared to the previous one performed 11 years earlier, showed an enlarged LV aneurysm in the mid-LV anterolateral wall with worsened global LV function. Discussion Peripartum cardiomyopathy may have different clinical presentations. Attentive clinical evaluation and multimodality imaging can provide precise diagnostic and prognostic information.
ISSN:2514-2119
2514-2119
DOI:10.1093/ehjcr/ytab001