International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 4 > Pp. 281-282

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, J. Articles by Fernando, J J R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Case reports

Successful management of prenatal hydrops fetalis in a mother with HIV

James Davis MRCOG ^* and J J Rufus Fernando FRCOG  

^* Department of Feto-Maternal Medicine, The Birmingham Womens Hospital NHS Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG; Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK

Correspondence to: Dr J J Fernando, Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, New Cross Hospital, Wednesfield Road, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK Email: rufusfernando{at}sky.com

The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in pregnancy worldwide is increasing. We have more invasive diagnostic and therapeutic abilities in feto-maternal medicine, creating a dilemma in our management of these pregnancies. Do we aggressively manage them with the risks of vertical transmission or do we try to avoid invasive interventions? In this case, the fetus of a 36-year-old immigrant with HIV is diagnosed with hydrops fetalis. The patient's viral load was 5800 copies/mL, therefore, early intervention was unwise. Optimal HIV management, combined with referral to a specialist feto-maternal medicine unit, regular ultrasound scans and insertion of a pleuroamniotic shunt when the viral load was low, resulted in the delivery of an HIV-negative baby with excellent outcome for both mother and baby.

Key Words: HIV • pregnancy • invasive management • hydrops fetalis

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?