Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Clinical and Echoca rdi ographic Findings

Abstract

INTRODUCT IONS: Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, a disorder of Heart mu1e presents clinically with heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or in the 1st five postpartum month • MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observations are based on five patients. All these patients were seen at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi. Over a period of six months, patients were seen in consultation because of presence of cardiac failure. Packed redce1ls transfusions were given and anaemia was corrected to Hgb levels of more than 10 gms If needed. DISCUSSION: Cardiomyopathy presenting initially in postpartum period is well known. (5-7).The diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is based on the recognition of primary myocardial disease (PMD) that presents for the first time toward the end pregnancy or in the early puerperium.Pathologically the hearts examined in the Literature of patients with PPCM were soft, grossly enlarged with dilation of all four chambers. Mural thrombi were reported in all cases. 1 -2).