Pregnancy in patients with cardiomyopathy--cases presentation

It is estimated that 0.2-4% of all pregnancies are complicated by cardiovascular diseases in industrialized countries and the number of the patients with cardiac problems in pregnancy is currently increasing. Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease, congenital or acquired, that may cause heart impairment and as a consequence it may lead to insufficient adaptation under conditions of increased load during gestation. Cardiomyopathy during pregnancy occurs relatively rarely, but potentially it may have severe consequences. Moreover up to 11% of maternal deaths during pregnancy may be caused by cardiomyopathies. We present a series of clinical cases of cardiomyopathy diagnosed before pregnancy. In our observation there are two pregnant women with the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and one pregnant woman with the dilated cardiomyopathy. Our experience corresponds with previous reports. Pregnancy in the course of cardiomyopathy, leading to changes in blood volume, cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance, with the limited capacity of the heart, is a therapeutic challenge. The key to the successful therapy is to quantify precisely the risks for both the mother and the fetus. The counseling should be provided by a specialist with appropriate experience, and should be performed in the cooperation with obstetricians, cardiologists and anesthetists.