Peripartum cardiomyopathy-the (un)known obstetricalcardiologic emergency situation

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is rare cardiac complication afflicting women during pregnancy or until 5 months post partum with the typical signs of acute cardiac failure. PPCM is similar to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in terms of symptoms, histopathology and treatment but is characterized by a better outcome with a high rate of spontaneous normalization of left-ventricular size and function. The understanding of the etiology is limited. However, viral myocarditis and autoimmune factors might be involved in the development of PPCM. Clinically, PPCM shows pulmonary symptoms such as dyspnea, tachypnea and coughing. The diagnosis is finally established by echocardiography. It has to be assumed that PPCM is often undetected or misdiagnosed because of the low incidence, the unspecific symptoms and the fact that other pregnancy-related factors have similar clinical appearance. The treatment is also unspecific and similar to DCM and acute cardiac failure. The severity of the disease requires an interdisciplinary approach in a perinatal center with consequent follow-up of the patients for risk stratification including echocardiography.