Peripartum cardiomyopathy and HELLP syndrome in a previously healthy multiparous woman: A case report

• Main Authors: Shany Quevedo, Caroline Bekele, Patrice D Thompson, Megan Philkhana, Sana Virani, Andrea Consuegra, Paul Douglass, Alida M Gertz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-12-01
• Series: SAGE Open Medical Case Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X20979288

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy in which the exact etiology is uncertain. HELLP syndrome is characterized by a constellation of different clinical and laboratory findings, including hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets. Few case reports exist detailing successful diagnosis and management of postpartum HELLP syndrome, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and multisystem organ failure in a previously healthy woman. We herein report the case of a 39-year-old multiparous female with mild gestational hypertension, who presented in the third trimester with vaginal bleeding and was subsequently suspected to have intrapartum placental abruption leading to immediate Cesarean section, complicated by massive postpartum hemorrhage, necessitating care in the intensive care unit. HELLP syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis subsequently developed along with respiratory failure and peripartum cardiomyopathy. After diagnosis and proper management, the patient made a full recovery. Peripartum cardiomyopathy should remain on the differential for women with heart failure symptoms.