title: Four pregnancies in two patients with essential thrombocythaemia--a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report our experience of 4 pregnancies in 2 patients who had essential thrombocythaemia (ET).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients with ET were managed with a variety of therapeutic approaches including the use of low-dose aspirin, plateletpheresis, hydroxyurea and alpha-interferon in the course of their 4 pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient had 2 successful pregnancies despite having platelet counts in excess of 1000 x 10(9)/L antenatally. The second patient had an intrauterine fetal death during the third trimester of her first pregnancy but had a successful second pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management of ET in pregnancy is still very much individualized. The impact of various treatment modalities on the pregnancy outcome remains to be proven but a favourable pregnancy outcome is possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608. gheklp@sgh.com.sg
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Devendra
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010976:Platelet Count; D010983:Plateletpheresis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D001241:Aspirin; D006918:Hydroxyurea