Erythropoietin treatment of erythropoietin-deficient anemia without renal disease during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND

The use of recombinant human erythropoietin in pregnancy has been described in patients with renal impairment. We present a patient with a hypoproliferative anemia with low serum erythropoietin levels and no renal disease or other known cause for this type of anemia, who was treated with recombinant human erythropoietin.

CASE

A 29-year-old white woman who became pregnant after leuprolide acetate and menopausal gonadotropin therapy developed a moderate anemia (hemoglobin 8.5 g/dL) in early pregnancy. The only important laboratory findings were a hypoproliferative marrow and a low serum erythropoietin level. She was treated successfully with injections of recombinant human erythropoietin. Her pregnancy was otherwise uncomplicated and her pre-delivery hemoglobin level was 12 g/dL.

CONCLUSION

Hypoproliferative anemia in pregnancy with low erythropoietin levels and no renal disease can be treated successfully with recombinant human erythropoietin.