RENAL AND RESPIRATORY-FAILURE DURING THE PREGNANCY OF A WOMAN WITH SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS

Pregnancy in patients with systemic sclerosis may predispose to a fast progression of the disease. We report a woman with systemic sclerosis and multiple visceral involvement that during the third trimester of pregnancy developed a respiratory failure caused by interstitial fibro sis complicated with alveolar hemorrhage, bronchopneumonia and respira tory distress syndrome and a renal failure. On admission, she was subj ected to a cesarean section, delivering a 1205 g newborn. In spite of intensive care support, the multisystemic failure became unmanageable and the patient died 15 days after admission. Literature review, altho ugh sometimes controversial, indicates that pregnancy is a situation w ith a definitive death risk for patients with systemic sclerosis, that requires a close follow up.