title: Magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of heart failure that affects women late in pregnancy or early in peripartum. The present report describes a case of a patient with PPCM demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with late gadolinium enhancement of the left ventricle (LV). The late gadolinium enhancement of MRI improved associated with recovery of cardiac function. Endomyocardial biopsy showed mild cell infiltration and fibrosis. Thus, MRI may be useful for the evaluation of myocardial damage and to predict the outcome of PPCM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan. hkawano@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuneto
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koide
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tasaki
authors.forename: Eijun
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sueyoshi
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Tomayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000209:etiology; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D019786:Gadolinium DTPA