Peripartum cardiomyopathy: current state of knowledge, new developments and future directions.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy affecting women in late pregnancy or early puerperium. Although initially described in the late 1800s, it has only recently been recognized as a distinct cardiac condition. The reported incidence and prognosis varies according to geography. The clinical course varies between complete recovery to rapid progression to chronic heart failure, heart transplantation or death. In spite of significant improvements in understanding the pathophysiology and management of the PPCM many features of this unique disease are poorly understood, including incidence, etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, predictors of prognosis and optimal therapy. The present article revisits these concepts and recent advances in PPCM.