title: Fatal intracranial hemorrhage in a pregnant patient with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy is a frequent cause of hematological consultation. Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura results from platelet destruction due to autoantibodies. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage is a rare but devastating complication of these patients. We present a fatal case of intracranial hemorrhage in a 18 week pregnant woman diagnosed with autoimmune thrombocytopenia. The clinical course and treatment of this unusual clinical complication is discussed in relation to the world literature.
authors.affiliation: High Risk Pregnancy Unit of the Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Guayaquil-Ecuador. peterchedraui@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Chedraui
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Glenda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: San Miguel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed