Congestive heart failure in pregnancy: a case of peripartum cardiomyopathy

G Rosner1, S N Wolchock Rosner, I Heller

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine H, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, Affiliated to Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, Israel. guyr@tasmc.health.gov.il

A healthy 28-year-old woman developed full-blown pulmonary oedema in the 36th week of gestation. Echocardiography revealed a globally enlarged heart with reduced systolic function. A remarkable dinical response with regain of normal ventricular function was noted with early medical intervention. This case report illustrates peripartum cardiomyopathy, a unique form of dilated cardiomyopathy affecting women during/following gestation. Clinician familiarity with this entity increases the probability of prompt appropriate treatment, offering patients the best possible prognosis.

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