Takayasu arteritis presenting as postpartum cardiomyopathy.

A case of Takayasu arteritis (TA) presenting as postpartum cardiomyopathy in a puerperal 26-year-old Hispanic female patient is presented. TA is a large-vessel vasculitis affecting young to middle-aged women. TA can result in cardiomyopathy as a direct result of myocardial involvement. The patient had classical clinical and radiographic findings of TA that were previously undiagnosed. She had rapid functional improvement with corticosteroids. The importance of a thorough physical examination of peripheral pulses is stressed in all patients, especially in those with cardiomyopathy.