Peripartum cardiac failure in a woman with Graves' disease

A case of peripartum cardiac failure is reported in a 20-year-old gravida 3, para 3 black female. The patient was 6 weeks postpartum. Graves' disease had been diagnosed in the first trimester of her pregnancy. The patient presented to the emergency department with complaints of fever, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Physical examination revealed signs of congestive heart failure and anasarca. Chest x-ray revealed bilateral pleural effusions, and an abdominal series was consistent with ascites. Bedside electrocardiogram revealed pan-hypokinesis of all four cardiac chambers. The authors believe that this is the first case reported in the literature of peripartum cardiac failure occurring in a patient with Graves' disease.