A case of peripartum cardiomyopathy presenting as bilateral acute limb ischaemia and gangrene. | Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 2019

Author(s)

Amber Ashraf Department of Cardiology, Medical Teaching Institution, Khyber TeachingHospital,Peshawar, Pakistan.

Salman Zahid Medical Teaching Institution, Khyber Teaching Hospital,Peshawar, Pakistan.

Zeeshan Ahmad Medical Teaching Institution, Khyber Teaching Hospital,Peshawar, Pakistan.

Asma Zia Ur Rehman Khyber Medical College,Peshawar,Pakistan

Muhammad Faheem Department of Cardiology, Medical Teaching Institution, Khyber Teaching Hospital,Peshawar, Pakistan.

Abstract

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a condition of unknown etiology that presents as heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the last of month of pregnancy and up to six months after giving birth. PPCM predisposes towards thrombo-embolism and an acute limb ischaemia can be a manifestation of this disease. We present a case of a 23-year-old lady presenting an acute lower limb ischaemia four months post-partum. Doppler ultrasound showed bilateral femoral emboli and cardiac ECHO showed a 24% ejection fraction. Amputation was performed on both limbs, below her right knee and above her left knee. The patient was started on heart failure medication and her symptoms improved with diuretic therapy, confirming the diagnoses of PPCM. It is important to recognise acute limb ischaemia as a rare manifestation of PPCM, as a timely diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease can improve the prognosis. We believe this is the first case to be reported in medical literature from Pakistan of a patient presenting PPCM with bilateral acute limb ischaemia and gangrene.

Publication Details

Page(s) 1216-1218

DOI DOI not available

Published Journal: Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Volume: 69, Issue: 8, Year: 2019

Keywords

Keywords are not available for this article.

References

References are not available for this document.

Citations

Citations are not available for this document.