ANEMIA AND THROMBOCYTOPENIA DUE TO PARVOVIRUS B-19 INFECTION IN A PREGNANT WOMAN

Anemia and thrombocytopenia in a patient with parvovirus B-19 and hepa titis C infection is reported. A seven month-pregnant 20 year-old pati ent had been first found to be anemic and thrombocytopenic 40 days bef ore admission to our hospital and she had been given methylprednisolon e and red cell transfusions. She gave birth to a healthy baby after on ly eight months of pregnancy. Ten days after delivery she was admitted to our hospital because of anemia and thrombocytopenia which did not respond to treatment. On admission, the blood count showed hemoglobin 8.1 g/dL, hematocrit 23.7%, white blood cells 11200/mu L, platelets 10 00/mu L, and reticulocytes 0.6%. Bone marrow smear and biopsy revealed erytroblastopenia and the absence of megakaryocytes. Liver enzymes we re also high (alanine aminotransferase 1469 Units/L and aspartate amin otransferase 981 Units/L). In serologic studies PVB-19 IgM was found t o be positive and hepatitis C virus RNA was detected. Red cell and pla telet values returned to normal levels after cessation of methylpredni solone and concomitantly PVB-19 IgG was found positive in association with IgM in repeated determinations. PVB-19 was thought to be responsi ble for both anemia and thrombocytopenia.