Abstract
Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy that presents with severe heart failure secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction, toward the end of pregnancy or in the months after delivery, in the absence of any other cause of heart failure. A 40-year-old multigravida at 36 weeks and 6 days of gestation, who complained of dyspnea for 2 days, was referred to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in our hospital. She had an ejection fraction of 18%. Chest radiograph showed pulmonary edema and pleural effusion; the patient had no history of heart disease. She was diagnosed with PPCM. After an emergency caesarean section, she was treated in the ICU with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, a diuretic, and dobutamine. She was discharged from the ICU on POD 2. Although her general condition improved, and she was discharged from the hospital on POD 23 with persistent low cardiac output, she developed cerebellar infarction 6 months later.
