Successful treatment of alloimmune thrombocytopenia using corticosteroid therapy in a woman with two consecutive neonatal deaths--case report

Abstract

Alloimmune thrombocytopenia is a serious fetal disorder resulting from platelet-antigen incompatibility between the mother and the fetus. In mild cases, the diagnosis is usually made upon detection of neonatal thrombocytopenia, but serious consequences such as fetal intracranial hemorrhage and/or unexplained fetal death may complicate the disorder. Various treatment modalities are suggested in the management of alloimmune thrombocytopenia, however, none has yet been confirmed as obviously superior. We report on the successful use of corticosteroids during pregnancy in a woman with a history of two consecutive neonatal deaths due to severe thrombocytopenia and HPA 5b platelet-specific antigen incompatibility.