Postpartum cerebral angiopathy and bromocriptine.

We report a case of benign cerebral angiopathy in a 37 year-old woman in the postpartum period occuring after bromocriptine therapy to suppress lactation. She presented with severe headache, hyperthermia and bradycardia. She had partial seizure. Angiography excluded cortical vein thrombosis but revealed multiple narrowing of intracerebral arteries. Bromocriptine was stopped. The patient totally recovered. A second angiography performed 3 months later was normal. Postpartum cerebral angiopathy is considered as rare but the prevalence is probably underestimated. Neurological features of this affection are multiple. Diagnosis is made by angiography performed in emergency and which showed narrowing of intracerebral arteries which are reversible. Prognosis is good. Reversible vasoconstriction may be due to acute arterial hypertension, sometimes triggered by ergot derivatives.