Pregnancy and PRCA

Q: Pregnancy related Pure Red Cell Aplasia (PRCA) usually resolves with delivery? (select one)

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

PRCA associated with pregnancy usually gets resolved within weeks of delivery. Outcomes of such pregnancies are usually good if anemia can be kept under control with transfusion. Steroids have been tried with mixed results. One diagnostic feature is the occurrence of anemia early in pregnancy. Interestingly it can occur in any pregnancy and may or may not relapse in subsequent pregnancies. Importantly, diagnosis should not be confused with aplastic anemia of pregnancy which has relatively a poor outcome.  

#hematology

#Ob-Gyn

References: 

1.  Choudry MA, Moffett BK, Laber DA. Pure red-cell aplasia secondary to pregnancy, characterization of a syndrome. Ann Hematol 2007; 86:233. 

2.  Kashyap R, Pradhan M. Maternal and fetal outcome in pregnancy-associated pure red cell aplasia. J Obstet Gynaecol 2010; 30:733. 

3.  Baker RI, Manoharan A, De Luca E, et al. Pure red cell aplasia of pregnancy: a distinct clinical entity. Br J Haematol. 1983;85(3):619–622. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1993.tb03359.x. 

4. Oie BK, Hertel J, Seip M, et al. Hydrops fetalis in three infants mother of a mother with acquired chronic pure red cell aplasia: transitory red cell aplasia in one of the infants. Scand J Hematol. 1984;33:466–470. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1984.tb00726.x.