title: Pregnancy and hereditary spherocytosis. Report of 8 patients and a review.
abstract: As there is only little information on pregnancy complicated by hereditary spherocytosis, we report on 8 patients with this disorder who had a total of 19 pregnancies. 10 pregnancies occurred in patients before splenectomy, and 9 occurred after splenectomy. There were 13 term births, 4 spontaneous abortions and 2 therapeutic abortions. Of the 19 pregnancies, 8 were complicated by anemia and all were in patients without splenectomy. A hemolytic crisis was encountered in 6 pregnancies, and persistent anemia occurred in 2. Transfusion was required in 4 pregnancies. It would appear that pregnancy may precipitate hemolytic anemia but maternal morbidity and fetal outcome seem more favorable after splenectomy than before splenectomy.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pajor
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lehoczky
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szakács
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D013156:Splenectomy