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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus
Published on: March 6, 2019
Shrinking lung syndrome in pregnancy complicated by antiphospholipid antibody syndrome
Monika Meena1, Christopher C DeStephano, William J Watson
1From the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and the Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.
Background:
Shrinking lung syndrome is characterized by pulmonary compromise secondary to unilateral or bilateral paralysis of the diaphragm.
Case:
Shrinking lung syndrome was diagnosed in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome after a cesarean delivery at 28 4/7 weeks of gestation. Signs and symptoms included unexplained right-side chest pain, dyspnea, tachypnea, and absent breath sounds at the right base of the lungs. After initiation of corticosteroids, her symptoms resolved.
Conclusion:
Although seen in association with systemic lupus erythematosus, shrinking lung syndrome has not been described with antiphospholipid syndrome or during pregnancy. Diagnosis and awareness are important because treatment with moderate- to high-dose corticosteroids appears to improve the clinical outcome.
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