Favorable course of peripartum cardiomyopathy (RCD code: VII-III-5C)

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is defined as an idiopathic cardiomyopathy, presenting with heart failure (HF) secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) at the end of pregnancy or in the early months after delivery. Importantly, there should be no other identifiable cause of HF. The pathophysiology of PPCM is not fully understood and is probably multifactional. The data on the PPCM prognosis are sparse. Though initial reports suggested that mortality in PPCM vary geographically. We present a case of a a nulliparous 25-year-old Caucasian woman, who gradually developed dyspnea on exertion and fatigue 2 months after successful vaginal twin deliv- ery. She did not have any typical risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, her family history was unremarkable, and the whole pregnancy period was uneventful. After initiation of anti-HF therapy her clinical status gradually improved and she was discharged home with only mild symptoms and improved LV systolic function. JRCD 2015; 2 (3): 85–88