| May 2006 · Vol. 18, No. 5 OBSTETRIC EMERGENCIES
Management of lupus flare
If disease is handled quickly, mother and fetus usually fare well, but loss of mother, fetus, or both is not always avoidable
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Fast Track
It is impossible to predict who will have a lupus flare, when, and to what level of severity
Pregnancy termination doesn’t necessarily ameliorate lupus flare
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John
T.
Repke,
MDOBG Management Board of Editors, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Obstetrician-Gynecologist-In-Chief, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pa
It was not that long ago that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was considered a contraindication to pregnancy. With improved understanding and improved treatment options, many women with SLE have successful pregnancies.
Still, lupus flare during pregnancy is a medical and obstetric emergency, and a persistent obstetric dilemma. The most difficult dilemma is how to differentiate a lupus flare from preeclampsia, as both may present with worsening blood pressure, proteinuria and deteriorating renal function, and edema.1
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