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Review ArticleReview Article
Open Access

Peripartum cardiomyopathy searching for a better understanding

Mostafa Q. Al-Shamiri and Mansour M. Al-Nozha
Saudi Medical Journal October 2003, 24 (10) 1048-1051;
Mostafa Q. Al-Shamiri
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Fahad Cardiac Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Mansour M. Al-Nozha
Director of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (38), College of Medicine, King Saud University, PO Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (1) 4672486. Fax. +966 (1) 4672553.
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Abstract

Congestive heart failure is an uncommon complication of pregnancy with potentially life-threatening consequences. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a disease of unknown cause in which severe left ventricular dysfunction occurs during late pregnancy or the early puerperium. In the past, the diagnosis of this entity was made on clinical grounds; however, modern echocardiographic techniques have allowed more accurate diagnoses by excluding cases of diseases that mimic the clinical symptoms and signs of heart failure. Risk factors for peripartum cardiomyopathy include advanced maternal age, multiparity, African descent, twinning, and long-term tocolysis. An extensive search for the causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy has been unrevealing. Treatment does not differ from treatment of idiopathic cardiomyopathy. The prognosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy is related to the recovery of ventricular function. Caution is advised in recommending subsequent pregnancy, especially if left ventricular dysfunction is persistent. In this review, we will discuss different aspects of PPCM as the initial patient contact, obstetricians and family practitioners must recognize this malady early and rapidly institute the proper medical therapy directed towards the congestive state.

  • Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Saudi Medical Journal: 24 (10)
Saudi Medical Journal
Vol. 24, Issue 10
1 Oct 2003
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Peripartum cardiomyopathy searching for a better understanding
Mostafa Q. Al-Shamiri, Mansour M. Al-Nozha
Saudi Medical Journal Oct 2003, 24 (10) 1048-1051;

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Peripartum cardiomyopathy searching for a better understanding
Mostafa Q. Al-Shamiri, Mansour M. Al-Nozha
Saudi Medical Journal Oct 2003, 24 (10) 1048-1051;
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© 2025 Saudi Medical Journal Saudi Medical Journal is copyright under the Berne Convention and the International Copyright Convention.  Saudi Medical Journal is an Open Access journal and articles published are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC). Readers may copy, distribute, and display the work for non-commercial purposes with the proper citation of the original work. Electronic ISSN 1658-3175. Print ISSN 0379-5284.

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