BackgroundIdiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a condition that often develops in young women and, consequently, physicians should frequently manage and monitor pregnant patients with this disorder.MethodsWe reviewed the charts of 30 women with chronic ITP delivered in 31 pregnancies from January 1995 to December 2003.ResultsFifteen patients were diagnosed with ITP before pregnancy and sixteen patients were diagnosed during pregnancy. The mean platelet counts before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and at delivery were 70,040/mm3, 83,960/mm3, and 62,680/mm3, respectively. The symptoms of hemostatic impairment were not noted in most of the pregnancies (77%, 24/31). During pregnancy and at delivery, most of the women (61%, 19/31) received various kinds of treatment to raise platelet counts. At delivery, the most commonly used therapy was platelet transfusion (48.4%, 15/31). Seven pregnancies (22.6%) were treated with corticosteroids during pregnancy and at delivery. Five pregnancies (16.1%) were treated with IV IgG during pregnancy and at delivery. Fifteen deliveries (51.7%) were performed by cesarean section and fourteen (48.3%) with vaginal delivery. Bleeding was uncommon at delivery. There were no cases of infants with any clinical signs of hemorrhage.ConclusionOur current results suggest that ITP in pregnancy can proceed safely with low hemorrhagic risk in both infants and mothers, and that mothers with ITP can deliver healthy infants without serious hemorrhagic complications

Common atrium is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by complete absence of the interatrial septum, and is commonly accompanied by malformation of the atrioventricular valve. Most patients with common atrium experience symptoms during childhood. Here, we describe a patient with common atrium who experienced his first obvious symptom at 48 years of age.

Patients with massive pulmonary embolism may present with severe dyspnea at rest, syncope, or cardiac arrest. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce mortality; however, patient-specific factors can influence the hemodynamic effect of pulmonary embolism. Here, we present a case of massive pulmonary embolism masked by a ventricular septal defect in a 73-year-old female.

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Intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis are widely used but can result in complications, such as infectious arthritis. Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a common normal skin flora but can cause severe infectious disease, such as infective endocarditis. We present the first report of infectious arthritis caused by methicillin-sensitive S. lugdunensis after intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in an immunocompromised patient in Korea. (J Rheum Dis 2016;23:321-325)