Defying physical limitations: Successful pregnancy and birth in a patient on home total parenteral nutrition since infancy

Massive atonic bleeding during cesarean delivery in a patient with chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction: A case report and literature review

A 35-year-old primigravid woman with chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction presented to our institution. Except for an enlarged fetal bladder, her pregnancy was almost uneventful until she developed pre-eclampsia requiring emergent cesarean section at 34 weeks gestation. After delivery, intractable uterine atony developed with blood loss reaching 3500 mL within 15 min. Following a B-Lynch suture, the bleeding attenuated but uterine atony persisted; lochia persisted for 3 months post-partum. The infant was diagnosed with megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome after birth. The mother's clinical course and previous reports suggested that atonic bleeding was associated with the pathology of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction; the infant's disease was considered to be maternal-related disease. Clinicians should be vigilant in pregnant patients with chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction especially with these complications.

Successful term pregnancy in an intestine-pancreas transplant recipient with chronic graft dysfunction and parenteral nutrition dependence: a case report

Pregnancy after solid organ transplantation is becoming more common, with the largest recorded numbers in renal and liver transplant recipients. Intestinal transplantation is relatively new compared to other solid organs, and reports of successful pregnancy are far less frequent. All pregnancies reported to date in intestinal transplant recipients have been in women with stable graft function. The case reported here involves the first reported successful term pregnancy in an intestine-pancreas transplant recipient with chronic graft dysfunction and dependence on both transplant immunosuppression and parenteral nutrition (PN) at the time of conception. Pregnancy was unplanned and unexpected in the setting of chronic illness and menstrual irregularities, discovered incidentally on abdominal ultrasound at approximately 18 weeks' gestation. Rapamune was held, tacrolimus continued, and PN adjusted to maintain consistent weight gain. A healthy female infant was delivered vaginally at term. Medical complications during pregnancy included anemia and need for tunneled catheter replacements. Ascites and edema were improved from baseline, with recurrence of large volume ascites shortly after delivery. Successful pregnancy is possible in the setting of transplant immunosuppression, chronic intestinal graft dysfunction, and long-term PN requirement, but close monitoring is required to ensure the health of mother and child.