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[Congestive heart failure in postpartum: a case of peripartum cardiomyopathy]
1Service des urgences adultes, CHU de Bordeaux-Pellegrin, place Amélie-Rabat-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France. laurentmerson@yahoo.fr
We report the case of an acute respiratory failure in a 36-year-old woman who presented a peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). PPCM is a dilated cardiomyopathy with impaired systolic function that occurs between the last month of pregnancy and the five months following delivery. It is a rare disorder of unknown origin associated with high mortality (50%). Echocardiography confirms the diagnosis by showing a left ventricular dilatation and a decreased ejection fraction. Up to date, the treatment remains symptomatic.
We report the case of an acute respiratory failure in a 36-year-old woman who presented a peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). PPCM is a dilated cardiomyopathy with impaired systolic function that occurs between the last month of pregnancy and the five months following delivery. It is a rare disorder of unknown origin associated with high mortality (50%). Echocardiography confirms the diagnosis by showing a left ventricular dilatation and a decreased ejection fraction. Up to date, the treatment remains symptomatic.
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