A review of peripartum cardiomyopathy

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of cardiomyopathy, of unknown aetiology, which is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. It is characterised by the presentation of heart failure, within a month of delivery and up to 5 months post-partum, secondary to left ventricular impairment. It is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion and can only be made in the absence of any other demonstrable cause. One of the most challenging areas is in pre-natal counselling, when a woman wishes to undertake a further pregnancy, because recovery of left ventricular function gives no guarantee of safety.