ABSTRACT
A 24-year-old woman in her third trimester of pregnancy presented with pulmonary symptoms consistent with acute chest syndrome (ACS). This was her first lifetime manifestation of sickle cell disease. Given the severity of ACS in a patient with no previous symptoms of the disease, we discuss the pathophysiology behind the development of ACS and the importance of practitioner vigilance during sickle cell patients' pregnancies.
KEYWORDS
Hemoglobinopathies - sickle cell disease - acute chest syndrome - pregnancy
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Katherine CampbellM.D. M.P.H.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine
333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT 06520-8063
eMail: katherine.campbell@yale.edu
