Second pregnancy outcome in a patient with Gitelman syndrome without the use of parenteral electrolyte supplementation

Diagnosis and outpatient management of Gitelman syndrome from the first trimester of pregnancy

A 32-year-old woman presented with an incidental finding of hypokalaemia on routine bloods at 9 weeks of a second pregnancy, on a background of lifelong salt craving. Her previous pregnancy was uncomplicated. She had no previous significant medical or family history. Venous blood gases showed a hypokalaemic, normochloraemic metabolic alkalosis. Urinary potassium was elevated. Escalating doses of oral supplementation of potassium, magnesium, sodium and potassium-sparing diuretics were required through the course of pregnancy, in response to regular electrolyte monitoring. These were later weaned and completely stopped post partum. Delivery was uneventful with no maternal or neonatal complications. Genetic testing performed post partum showed heterogenous mutation of SCL12A3 gene.

Clinical and laboratory features of female Gitelman syndrome and the pregnancy outcomes in a Chinese cohort

AIM

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a rare inherited salt-losing renal tubulopathy. Data on clinical features and the pregnancy outcome for female GS patients in a large cohort are lacking. The study was aimed to explore the phenotype and pregnant issue for female GS patients.

METHODS

GS cases from the National Rare Diseases Registry System of China (NRSC) were collected, and detailed clinical, laboratory and genetic data were analysed. Articles on pregnancy in GS were also systemically reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 101 GS patients were included; among them, 42.6% were female and 79.2% showed hypomagnesaemia. A lower proportion of female patients presented before 18 years of age, with less frequently reported polyuria, higher serum potassium and less urine sodium and chloride excretions. There was no gender difference in the sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) dysfunction evaluated by hydrochlorothiazide test. Twelve of the 43 female GS patients delivered after disease symptom onset, and their pregnancies were generally uneventful. As a group, pregnant GS patients had lower potassium levels in the first-trimester (P = .002) requiring higher potassium supplementation. After delivery, serum potassium (P = .02) and magnesium (P = .03) increased significantly. Both caesarean section and vaginal delivery were safe.

CONCLUSION

Female GS patients may have a less severe phenotype with generally favourable outcomes of pregnancy. Intensive monitoring and increased potassium supplementation are necessary during pregnancy, especially in the first-trimester.

Gitelman Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Seizure Disorder and a Systematic Review

Gitelman syndrome is one of the few inherited causes of metabolic alkalosis due to salt losing tubulopathy. It is caused by tubular defects at the level of distal convoluted tubules, mimicking a thiazide-like tumor. It usually presents in late childhood or in teenage as nonspecific weakness, fatigability, polyuria, and polydipsia but very rarely with seizures. It is classically associated with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronism. However, less frequently, it can present with normal magnesium levels. It is even rarer to find normomagnesemic patients of GS who develop seizures as the main complication since hypomagnesemia is considered the principal etiology of abnormal foci of seizure-related brain activity in GS cases. Interestingly, patients with GS are oftentimes diagnosed during pregnancy when the classic electrolyte pattern consistent with GS is noticed. Our case presents GS with normal serum magnesium in a patient, with seizures being the main clinical presentation. We also did a comprehensive literature review of 122 reported cases to show the prevalence of normal magnesium in GS cases and an overview of clinical and biochemical variability in GS. We suggest that further studies and in-depth analysis are required to understand the pathophysiology of seizures in GS patients with both normal and low magnesium levels.

[Management of Gitelman syndrome during pregnancy reporting 12 cases]

INTRODUCTION

Gitelman syndrome is a rare hereditary renal tubulopathy, responsable of hypokalemia and hypomagnesaemia-related ionic disorders, which management is poorly codified during pregnancy. We report 12 cases of pregnancies with Gitelman syndrome and we compare our data with those of literature.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

It is a report of 12 pregnancies in 5 patients with Gitelman syndrome between 2002 and 2016. Follow up and outcome of pregnancy, delivery modalities and maternal-fetal prognosis have been collected.

RESULTS

In our serie, maximum kaliemie observed was 3.4mmol/L, with an average potassium, over all pregnancies of 2.3mmol/L. Oral potassium and magnesium supplementation at the end of pregnancy were 8900mg/day and 460mg/day, respectively. There were no serious maternal complications. Two pregnancies were complicated by intrauterine growth retardation in a context of preeclampsia. There is a large disparity in the methods of anesthetic management of these patients. Materno-fetal prognosis at 1 month post-partum is good.

CONCLUSION

Gitelman syndrome is a rare pathology where there is a lack of homogeneity in management of pregnancy. Monitoring of monthly ionogram is necessary. The goal is to obtain stable, non-symptomatic kaliemias, which will never be standardized even in increasing treatment. The most important is to inform and detect situations at risk of decompensation, including vomiting or the use of certain anesthetics. In agreement with literature data, monitoring of fetal growth and the amount of amniotic fluid in the third trimester is still warranted. These pregnancies require the development of a common care in multidisciplinary consultation meeting.

Two cases of successful pregnancy in patients with Gitelman's syndrome

Gitelman's syndrome (GS) is a distal convoluted tubule (DCT) defect clinically characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis. Pregnancy in women with GS often results in severe hypomagnesemia and hypokalemia. We report two cases of successful pregnancies, after previous fetal loss, in patients with GS managed with aggressive oral and intravenous electrolyte repletion. These cases illustrate increased potassium and magnesium requirements over the course of the pregnancies and are notable due to the high doses of electrolytes required. They also demonstrate the possibility of successful pregnancy outcomes with frequent laboratory monitoring and aggressive titration of electrolyte replacement either orally or intravenously to maintain appropriate serum levels necessary to provide a suitable environment for fetal development.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum in Undiagnosed Gitelman's Syndrome

Introduction. Gitelman's syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive inherited defect in the thiazide-sensitive sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCCT) in the renal distal convoluted tubule. Physiologic changes of pregnancy promote renal potassium wasting, but serum potassium levels are kept in the physiologic range by increased levels of progesterone, which resist kaliuresis. In the presence of GS, this compensatory mechanism is easily overwhelmed, resulting in profound hypokalemia. We present a case of an 18-year-old primigravida with undiagnosed GS who presented with hyperemesis gravidarum in her 7th week of pregnancy. This report adds to the limited experience with GS in pregnancy as reported in literature and provides additional information on medical management that leads to successful maternal and fetal outcomes.

Gitelman syndrome during pregnancy – from diagnosis to treatment: a case series and review of the literature

Objective: Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a rare renal disease, originating from a defect in the Na-Cl co-transporter in the distal tubule, which causes hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, metabolic alkalosis and low-normal blood pressure. Mild hypokalemia of pregnancy is physiological. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, polyuria and low blood pressures are also common complaints associated with a normal pregnancy. Therefore, the diagnosis of an organic renal disorder, i.e., GS, may go undetected, until severe hypokalemia and possible life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias develop. Maternal consequences are obvious. The possibility of fetal pathology remains unclear.

Study design: In this study, we describe nine pregnancies in seven women with a clinical diagnosis of GS. Nearly all women were diagnosed initially during pregnancy. We describe their clinical presentation, serum and urine electrolyte levels during pregnancy and immediately post-partum, their treatment and pregnancy outcome.

Results: Fetal pregnancy outcomes were mostly favorable. While it is likely that women suffering from GS do not require special fetal surveillance, they are at high risk for electrolyte depletion and thus aggravation of GS during pregnancy.

Conclusion: Clinical suspicion of GS should arise in all women presenting with symptomatic hypokalemia. Once the diagnosis is made, adequate supplementation and routine maternal monitoring should ensue.

Outpatient management of Gitelman's syndrome in pregnancy

Gitelman's syndrome is a congenital renal tubular defect which affects the apical membrane of the distal convoluted tubule of the renal system. The syndrome is characterised by hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia, metabolic alkalosis and hypocalcuria. There are only a few cases describing the impact of Gitelman's syndrome on pregnancy and the foetus. Although most pregnancies have favourable outcomes, fetal demise has been reported in the third trimester. We report the successful outcome of pregnancy in a patient with Gitelman's syndrome who continued on amiloride in pregnancy to optimise potassium and magnesium levels and review the literature for pregnancy outcomes of this condition.

Gitelman syndrome and pregnancy

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is an autosomal-recessive condition characterized by hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria. Very little information is available in the literature to guide the management of pregnant patients with GS. We report a case of a 27-year-old woman with GS who became pregnant and despite persistent hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia during pregnancy and labor, had a successful maternal and fetal outcome.