[Peripartum cardiomyopathy with fatal outcome].

The authors reported the case of a 26 year-old primipara who had unexplained congestive cardiac failure on the 9th week after delivery. There was no previous disease in her history however her pregnancy endangered because of imminent abortion was preceded by 1 artificial and 2 spontaneous abortions. In the acute phase she had to be resuscitated because of ventricular fibrillation and then she had a pulmonary embolism followed by pneumonia and therefore she was in septic state for 4 weeks. After a 4 month clinical remission she died unexpectedly at home. At autopsy the histological appearance of myocarditis, thymic hyperplasia and hypoplastic vascular system were observed.