[Postpartum dyspnea, edema and fever].
BACKGROUND
Cardiomyopathy is a condition with heart failure caused by a reduction in the contractility of the heart. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare, but serious condition, characterised by development of heart failure during the last month of pregnancy or the first five months after delivery.


METHODS
We present a case in which a woman pregnant with twins developed heart failure a few days after giving birth. We give a short report of symptoms, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for subsequent pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
The condition was initially diagnosed and treated as pneumonia, but despite treatment and improvement in her laboratory tests, her condition worsened. The symptoms were dyspnoea, peripheral oedemas and pulmonary oedema. Peripartum cardiomyopathy was diagnosed after echocardiography. Treatment of heart failure with diuretics, nitroglycerine, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and beta blocker was given with good results. This case is presented in order to draw attention to a rare, but serious condition in pregnancy or the postnatal period which easily can be misjudged or mistreated.
Roland
Marie Cecilie Paasche
MC
Fødeseksjonen, Kvinneklinikken, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo.
Lorentzen
Bjørg
B
Gjertsen
Erik
E
D000328:Adult; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography