[Meadows syndrome: puerperal cardiomyopathy]

This retrospective study concerns six cases of gravido-puerperal cardiomyopathy. These six cases account for 18% of all cases of non-obstructive cardiomyopathy (NOCM) affecting women in general and 67% of NOCM in women of childbearing age. Mean age was 28.5 with a range of 18 to 39. Reported risk factors include poor socio-economic conditions, multiparity, twin pregnancies and anemia. The clinical picture is that of cardiac failure, most often congestive (83.3%), with a systolic murmur of functional mitral incompetence (50%) and atypical chest pain (50%). The ECG is invariably abnormal, without specific signs. The high incidence of repolarisation disturbances is a fairly special feature. Echocardiography is the technique of choice, enabling detection, diagnosis and study of ventricular function, which is an important factor in prognostic evaluation. Medical treatment is based upon a combination of rest, salt-free diet, diuretics, digitalis and vasodilators. The etiology remains unknown and the prognosis is severe despite cases of complete recovery.