[Postpartum cardiomyopathy].

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room because of dyspnoea. Two months earlier she had given birth to a healthy young boy via cesarean section.

IMAGING: Computed tomography showed acute embolism in both pulmonary arteries. Chest X-ray and echocardiography revealed an enlarged left ventricle, a highly reduced left ventricular function and thrombosis in the left ventricle.

TREATMENT AND COURSE: The patient was treated with extensive medical heart failure therapy, and also with bromocriptine for eight weeks. Six months later, left ventricular ejection fraction had significantly improved.

CONCLUSION

Peri- or postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare, potentially life-threatening heart disease, which is characterized by sudden onset of heart failure between the final weeks of pregnancy and up to six months after childbirth. Early diagnosis is crucial for the patient's prognosis. Recent pilot studies on the effect of adding bromocriptine to standard heart failure therapy indicated an improvement of prognosis and myocardial function. In this case significant improvement of left ventricular function was thus achieved.