IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 37 / Issue 3 / pii/1630630230743-371629025

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Case Report
Intrauterine fetal demise due to streptococcal toxic shock syndrome: a case report
Show Less
1 Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Niigata City General Hospital, Niigata
2 Emergency and Critical Care Medical Center, Niigata City General Hospital, Niigata (Japan)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2010, 37(3), 226–228;
Published: 10 September 2010
Abstract

Background: Toxic shock syndrome caused by group A streptococci (GAS) is rare around the time of delivery, but it may predispose pregnant women to a life-threatening condition. Case: A 32-year-old primigravida at 21 weeks of gestation was taken to our hospital with acute severe abdominal pain following fever. On admission the fetus was found to be dead, and intrauterine fetal demise due to placental abruption was suspected. An emergency cesarean section found no sign of placental abruption. Soon after the surgery, the patient went into shock but was successfully treated with intensive care. Although repeated blood cultures failed to detect microorganisms, the patient was positive for streptococcal pyrogenic toxin A, which is a superantigen of GAS. Conclusion: Once GAS infection is suspected, regardless of negative blood cultures, supportive care in the intensive care unit is mandatory.
Keywords
Pregnancy
Streptococcus pyogenes
Superantigen
Toxic shock syndrome
Share
Back to top