title: Recovery from peripartum cardiomyopathy in a Japanese woman after administration of bromocriptine as a new treatment option.
abstract: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of heart failure that occurs in women within 1 month before delivery and 5 months after delivery. The outcome of PPCM is variable but improves significantly when appropriate medication is administered in the acute phase; furthermore, the outcome does not worsen even after discontinuation of therapy in the chronic phase. The symptoms and signs of PPCM are similar to those of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The medical management of patients with PPCM is similar to that for other other forms of heart failure. Recent experimental data implicate a casual role of prolactin in the development of PPCM. Prolactin secretion can be reduced with bromocriptine which had beneficial effects in a small study. We present a Japanese woman with acute PPCM treated with bromocriptine as a therapeutic option. Following treatment, the serum prolactin levels dropped swiftly. Concurrently, LV function improved, and heart failure symptoms decreased, accompanied by a decrease in the BNP level.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Medicine, Perinatology and Gynecologic Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. takashi360@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Izuki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akira
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeshita
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D001971:Bromocriptine