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Lupus myocarditis mimicking peripartum cardiomyopathy: A diagnostic challenge and successful clinical management

Yunus Emre Dalkılıç1, Fatih Mehmet Doğan1, Berkay Soysal1

  • 1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.

Modern Rheumatology Case Reports
|August 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Lupus myocarditis (LM) and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) can be mistaken for each other. Early diagnosis of LM in postpartum women is vital for effective treatment and improved outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Obstetrics

Background:

  • Lupus myocarditis (LM) and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) share overlapping symptoms, causing diagnostic challenges during the peripartum period.
  • Misdiagnosis of LM can lead to delayed treatment and increased mortality risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the diagnostic challenges in differentiating LM from PPCM in a postpartum patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  • To emphasize the importance of recognizing LM for appropriate therapeutic intervention.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a 34-year-old female patient with a history of SLE presenting postpartum with palpitations.
  • Clinical evaluation including cardiac enzymes and echocardiography.
  • Assessment of SLE disease activity.

Main Results:

  • Initial diagnosis of PPCM based on acute heart failure symptoms and reduced ejection fraction.
  • Subsequent diagnosis of LM confirmed by clinical and laboratory findings indicating high SLE activity.
  • Patient demonstrated significant clinical improvement following pulse steroid and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate differentiation between LM and PPCM is critical in postpartum patients with SLE.
  • Prompt recognition and management of LM, guided by SLE activity, can lead to favorable outcomes.

Keywords:
Lupus myocarditisSLE and pregnancyperinatal medicineperipartum cardiomyopathysystemic lupus erythematosus

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