Successful pregnancy in a patient with portal hypertension secondary to portal vein thrombosis due to essential thrombocythaemia: a rare case

Abstract

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a disease characterized by an increased platelet count, megakaryocytic hyperplasia and a hemorrhagic or thrombotic tendency. Pregnancy in patients with ET can have a favorable outcome. However, ET has also been reported to complicate pregnancy by recurrent abortions, intrauterine death, and fetal growth retardation due to placental infarctions. ET has an unusual prevalence of intraabdominal (hepatic, portal and mesenteric) vein thrombosis, especially in young patients, which can lead to portal hypertension. There are ample cases in the literature of both essential thrombocytosis complicating pregnancy and portal hypertension complicating pregnancy, but the coincidence of both conditions appears to be unique. In this case report, we report a successful pregnancy in a patient with a prior diagnosis of essential thrombocytosis with remote secondary portal vein thrombosis and portal hypertension (PH).

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• essential thrombocythaemia
• portal vein thrombosis
• portal hypertension

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.