Periarteritis nodosa and pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Pregnant patients with periarteritis resulted in maaternal death in 7 of 8 cases that have been reported. In the present case, periarteritis was in remission throughout the pregnancy; the patient was thus the second known maternal survivor. The infant also did well. It is suggested that pregnancy probably does not have as direct an effect on the course of the disorder as appears from the outcome of the previous case. Extreme caution must prevail, especially as diagnosis is often difficult and experience so limited (AU)