PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nivedita Jha
AU  - Divya M Balachandran
AU  - Ajay K Jha
TI  - Fever, cough and gastrointestinal symptoms in a pregnant woman
AID  - 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0443
DP  - 2021 Sep 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - e526--e528
VI  - 21
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/5/e526.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/5/e526.full
SO  - Clin Med2021 Sep 01; 21
AB  - Despite distinct diagnostic criteria, several gastrointestinal pathologies can masquerade haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) during the peripartum period. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy, HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) syndrome, miliary tuberculosis, visceral leishmaniasis, abdominal surgical emergencies, haemolytic anaemias and haematological malignancies may have clinical and laboratory presentation similar to that of HLH. In this report, we present the case of a 26-year-old woman with 38-weeks’ gestation and abdominal pain, vomiting, intermittent fever and non-productive cough for 1–2 months. A thorough investigation suggested HLH and the patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids. This patient demonstrates the importance of a focused investigation strategy and timely management to prevent mortality and morbidity to both the mother and fetus in this rare and fatal disease.