The use of speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers for diagnosis of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Context Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a well-known though poorly understood disease. Aim We aimed to provide new diagnostic tools for patients with PPCM using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and cardiac biomarkers. Patients and methods This is a case–control study. We recruited 20 patients with newly discovered PPCM and 20 control women. They were subjected to 2D traditional echocardiography, STE, and serum analysis for N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTn-I). Results The mean age of the patients was 29.7 ± 7.63 years. Overall, 75% of them presented in the postpartum period. Patient's left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was impaired compared with controls at presentation (34.2 ± 8.84 vs. 62.65 ± 5.61%,P Conclusion Global longitudinal and circumferential strains are depressed in patients with PPCM. GLS apical four chamber view, GLS apical two chamber view, and GCS had high sensitivity and 40–80% specificity for LVEF changes, so strain can be used as an objective marker of left ventricular dysfunction in patients with PPCM. NT-proBNP and cTn-I can help in the diagnosis of peripartum patients presented to emergency room with symptoms and signs of heart failure.