title: Pregnancy complicated by the Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.
abstract: The Kasabach-Merritt syndrome is the association of cavernous hemangiomas and consumption coagulopathy marked by anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hypofibronigenemia. Exacerbation of the consumption coagulopathy has been described in the 2 previous reports of this syndrome when associated with pregnancy. The authors report a third patient whose delivery and postopartum course were marked by increased coagulation abnormalities and subsequent hemorrhage. This patient's 32-day hospital course and need for multiple blood transfusions, clotting factors, platelets, heparin, and finally epsilon-aminocaproic acid underscore the need for patients with this syndrome to deliver in a referral center hospital where replacement therapy and hematologic consultation are readily available.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic; D012878:Skin Neoplasms; D013577:Syndrome