[Cyclophosphamide during pregnancy: a safe prescription].

Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent used to treat haematologic malignant diseases and multisystem diseases with progressive glomerulonephritis. It is rarely prescribed during pregnancy. We report a case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura discovered at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. Despite steroid therapy, glomerulonephritis worsened and 100 mg/day cyclophosphamide per os was administered from 28th week till delivery. The infant, prematurely born, was normal and did not have any haematological disorder. Congenital malformations are often reported (5 out of 19 newborns exposed in utero to cyclophosphamide), but in all those cases, there was another potentially teratogenic agent: either radiotherapy or another antineoplastic drug. Therefore, if mother's life is in jeopardy, cyclophosphamide therapy should be given and not postponed.