title: Isolated Left Ventricular Hypoplasia in a Postpartum Patient.
abstract: A 22-year-old woman presented with lethargy and shortness of breath at 13 weeks postpartum. She was clinically tachypnoeic with signs of fluid overload. Telemetry revealed 2 different morphologies of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, associated with chest discomfort. Cardiac imaging demonstrated a truncated, spherical left ventricle (LV) with severe systolic dysfunction and fatty replacement of the LV apex but no evidence of myocardial fibrosis. The right ventricle was elongated wrapping around the LV apex and had moderate systolic impairment. A diagnosis of "isolated LV apical hypoplasia" was made with possible concomitant peripartum cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom. Electronic address: dwyew@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Wern Yew
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meah
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Archana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fairbairn
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasleton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D053609:Lethargy / Q000209:etiology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D049590:Postpartum Period; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology