Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Neonatal Cardiac Diagnostics with Echocardiography-Derived Blood Speckle Imaging
Published on: December 22, 2023
Reverse Apical Ballooning Echocardiographic Pattern in Eclampsia-Related Cardiomyopathy
Stephen J Gleich1, David W Barbara, Katherine W Arendt
1From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota; †Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota; and ‡Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota.
The diagnosis of heart failure during pregnancy has important management implications for the parturient and her fetus. A 19-year-old primigravida developed eclampsia at 29 weeks' gestation. Echocardiography demonstrated normal left ventricular size and ejection fraction of 35% with reverse apical ballooning (reverse takotsubo pattern). Under general anesthesia with invasive monitoring, she underwent urgent cesarean delivery of a preterm infant. Follow-up echocardiography 4 weeks after delivery showed complete normalization of her ejection fraction (56%). This case of eclampsia-related stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a distinct entity from peripartum cardiomyopathy. Using echocardiography, the diagnoses should be differentiated with appropriate management and counseling.
The diagnosis of heart failure during pregnancy has important management implications for the parturient and her fetus. A 19-year-old primigravida developed eclampsia at 29 weeks' gestation. Echocardiography demonstrated normal left ventricular size and ejection fraction of 35% with reverse apical ballooning (reverse takotsubo pattern). Under general anesthesia with invasive monitoring, she underwent urgent cesarean delivery of a preterm infant. Follow-up echocardiography 4 weeks after delivery showed complete normalization of her ejection fraction (56%). This case of eclampsia-related stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a distinct entity from peripartum cardiomyopathy. Using echocardiography, the diagnoses should be differentiated with appropriate management and counseling.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...
Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias

