Early use of cardiac resynchronization therapy to accelerate symptomatic relief and complete left ventricular function recovery in peripartum cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare cause of heart failure that develops during the last month of pregnancy or within first months of delivery. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with severely symptomatic PPCM characterized by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 10% and significant dyssynchrony secondary to a left bundle branch block (LBBB). Early cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was used to achieve remarkable functional and LVEF recovery. This case suggests that early CRT must be considered for patients suffering from severely symptomatic PPCM despite optimal medical therapy for whom advanced heart failure therapies are proposed.