Which condition during pregnancy is a recognized cause of DCM?

Which condition during pregnancy is a recognized cause of DCM?

• A. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• B. Peripartum
• C. Myocarditis
• D. Idiopathic

Answer: (B)

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that begins in the late stages of pregnancy or within a few months after delivery. It is recognized as a pregnancy-associated cause of DCM because the new-onset systolic dysfunction with LV dilation occurs specifically in the peripartum period, without another identifiable cardiac disease. The condition reflects how the dramatic physiological changes of late pregnancy and the postpartum state can reveal or precipitate myocardial failure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involves thickened heart muscle, not dilation, so it isn’t a pregnancy-related cause of DCM. Myocarditis can lead to DCM in general but isn’t defined by pregnancy timing. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown, but the question focuses on a recognized pregnancy-related condition, which is peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that begins in the late stages of pregnancy or within a few months after delivery. It is recognized as a pregnancy-associated cause of DCM because the new-onset systolic dysfunction with LV dilation occurs specifically in the peripartum period, without another identifiable cardiac disease. The condition reflects how the dramatic physiological changes of late pregnancy and the postpartum state can reveal or precipitate myocardial failure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involves thickened heart muscle, not dilation, so it isn’t a pregnancy-related cause of DCM. Myocarditis can lead to DCM in general but isn’t defined by pregnancy timing. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown, but the question focuses on a recognized pregnancy-related condition, which is peripartum cardiomyopathy.