Pregnancy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular outflow tract obstruction

Abstract

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) patients with severe left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction (those with a gradient of > 100 mm Hg) are at the highest risk of hemodynamic deterioration during pregnancy. Complications of HOCM include sudden cardiac death, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Physiological changes during pregnancy may induce these complications, affecting maternal and fetal health conditions. Therefore, close monitoring with appropriate management is essential for the well-being of both mother and fetus. We report on the case of a 27-year-old female patient with severe LVOT obstruction HOCM, pressure gradient (PG) of 125 mm Hg at resting, and 152 mm Hg induced by the Valsalva maneuver at 34 weeks gestation. This case showed how close monitoring using echocardiography and proper management during the course of pregnancy resulted in successful delivery in the patient with extremely high PG HOCM. © 2016 Korean Society of Echocardiography.