Peripartum cardiomyopathy: report of a case

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is defined as the development of heart failure during the later part of pregnancy or during the first three to six postpartum months, without an obvious underlying cause or prior evidence of cardiac disease. We present one case of peripartum cardiac failure which occurred in a 25-year-old primigravida with twin gestation. The patient underwent an emergency Cesarean section followed by successful medical treatment. An endomyocardial biopsy was performed 12 days after delivery and the pathological changes were consistent with the diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy.