An unusual form of mirror syndrome: a case report

Abstract

Aim: Mirror syndrome is a triad consisting of fetal hydrops, maternal edema and placentomegaly. Its pathogenesis is unclear and it is frequently mistaken for preeclampsia, even though distinguishing features can be identified. It is associated with an increase in fetal mortality and maternal morbility. Methods: We report an uncommon case of mirror syndrome, which appeared late in pregnancy (38 weeks) in a young nulliparous and characterized by sudden and massive vulvar edema, with placentomegaly and hydramnios but without fetal hydrops. Results: Our report is an interesting example of an unusual form of Mirror syndrome for several reasons. First of all, the gestational age in which the disorder appeared differs remarkably from the data of literature; in our case, clinical signs and symptoms appeared only at 37 weeks. Another difference consists in the lack of hypertension that represents the second most common symptom associated and explains the difficulty to differentiate this syndrome from preeclampsia. Conclusions: Although mirror syndrome is associated with an increase in perinatal mortality, in the case we reported the late onset of the disorder associated with the medical treatment and the timely decision to perform a caesarean section allowed the birth of a healthy baby.

Keywords::

• Ballantyne’s syndrome
• hydrops
• mirror syndrome
• placentomegaly
• vulvar edema

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.