Pure red-cell aplasia secondary to pregnancy: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: To report a case of pure red-cell aplasia secondary to pregnancy and to conduct a review of the literature regarding diagnosis and treatment, as well as maternal and perinatal prognosis. Materials and methods: This is the case of a 24-year-old patient at 34 weeks of gestation, referred to a regional public referral hospital due to anemia. Bone marrow biopsy was performed, leading to the diagnosis of pregnancy-related pure red-cell aplasia. The patient received serial red blood cell transfusions. Delivery by Cesarean section at term resulted in a healthy newborn. Hemoglobin values remained stable during the postoperative period. A literature search was conducted in Medline via PubMed, LILACS, SciELO and ScienceDirect using the terms “pregnancy” and “pure red-cell aplasia”. Case reports, case series and literature reviews in English and Spanish published between January 1999 and January 2020 that report pregnant women with pure red-cell aplasia were included. Information on diagnosis, treatment and maternal and perinatal prognosis was collected. Three of the authors selected the studies by title and abstract; A descriptive synthesis is provided. Results: Overall, 828 titles were identified; of these, 818 were discarded after reviewing the inclusions criteria. Ten articles were included: six case reports, three case reports with literature review, and one case report in the poster modality, for a total number of 10 reported cases. Diagnosis was based on low hemoglobin levels and compromised erythroid cell line in bone marrow biopsy. Treatment consists of red blood cell transfusions, with good maternal and fetal prognosis. Conclusion: Diagnosis of pure red-cell aplasia during pregnancy requires bone marrow biopsy. With transfusion support, maternal perinatal prognosis is good. Further studies are required to assess the safety and efficacy of steroid use in this pregnancy-related condition.