Rapid left ventricular recovery after cabergoline treatment in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy
1 Departments of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Room B2-238, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Department of Gynecology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
* Corresponding author. Tel: +31 205669111 pager 58073, Fax: +31 847550017, Email: j.s.s.g.dejong{at}amc.nl
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Abstract |
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The aetiology of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is still largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that the breakdown products from prolactin can induce cardiomyopathy. Prolactin secretion can be reduced with bromocriptine which had beneficial effects in a small study. We present a case of a patient with PPCM who received cabergoline, a strong and long lasting antagonist of prolactin secretion. Following treatment, her prolactin levels dropped swiftly. N-terminal pro-BNP levels, which had remained high up to that point, dropped within 1 day (7006 to 4408 pg/mL). Echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction recovered from 26% on Day 4 postpartum to 32% and later 47% on Days 2 and 5 after cabergoline treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a case of PPCM in which cabergoline was administered.
Key Words: Heart failure • Peripartum cardiomyopathy • Cabergoline treatment
Received July 15, 2008; Revised October 2, 2008; Accepted November 19, 2008