Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a review article.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a disease with significant morbidity and mortality. It has a global spread but with important geographic variation. The aetiology and pathogenesis of PPCM is unknown, but several hypotheses have been proposed over the years. These include myocarditis, oxidised prolactin, autoimmunity, malnutrition, genetic susceptibility and apoptosis. This review discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, aetiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of PPCM. The possible role of novel echocardiographic techniques in the study of PPCM was also discussed.