Postpartum takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicated with severe pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock – a case report

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a rare but life-threatening illness that can affect middle aged, young and pregnant women. It is a cardiac emergency and can mimic many other life threatening conditions like myocardial infarction, acute myocarditis, peripartum cardiomyopathy or dilated cardiomyopathy and is diagnosed by exclusion. Description of the case. Here we report a rare case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a young 28 year old female immediately post vaginal delivery of her normal full term twin pregnancy, who was otherwise a healthy female. She went on to develop complication of left ventricular heart failure and cardiogenic shock, which were successfully managed by conservative treatment leading to a full recovery. Conclusion. Takotsubo or stress cardiomyopathy is a rare entity and often a missed diagnosis, which if caught on time and treated leads to great prognosis. Our patient made a full recovery and is living a healthy life.