title: [Peripartum cardiomyopathy].
abstract: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare, potentially life-threatening cardiomyopathy of unknown cause. Diagnosis includes clinical (development of cardiac failure in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery, absence of an identifiable cause of cardiac failure and absence of recognizable heart disease prior to the last month of pregnancy) and echographic (left ventricular systolic dysfunction) criteria. Therapy is standard, except for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, which should be avoided at the end of pregnancy, and heart transplantation if medical treatment fails. We report the case of a 24 year-old woman who required left ventricular assistance as a bridge before cardiac transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Cardiaque, Hôpital Erasme, U.L.B.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leeman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001247:Asthenia / Q000209:etiology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013599:Systole; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology