title: Pregnancy in Wegener's granulomatosis: successful treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin.
abstract: We present the case of a women diagnosed with Wegener's disease at the age of 26 years, refractory to corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide therapy. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was started, leading to partial clinical remission of disease. During IVIg treatment she became pregnant. IVIg therapy was continued, the disease went into remission, and after 40 weeks the patient delivered a healthy boy. After 6 months from the delivery, the patient became pregnant again. Now she is at the 22nd week of pregnancy and she is doing very well. This case supports the beneficial effect of IVIg in Wegener's granulomatosis and illustrates its safety and efficacy during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Scienze Immunologiche-Sezione di Reumatologia, Policlinico Le Scotte, University of Siena, Viale Bracci, 53100 Siena, Italy. francescabellisai@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bellisai
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morozzi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcolongo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents