Intrauterine aplastic anemia and fetal hydrops: a case report

Fetal hydrops developed in the 8-day interval between two ultrasonographic examinations of a pregnant woman who had presented with a revealed placental abruption. Chronic ulcerative colitis had been treated with oral prednisone and sulfasalazine until the second month of pregnancy and then with prednisone only. An autolysed hydropic fetus was delivered at 26 weeks gestation. No hematopoietic tissue was identified in the small pale fetal liver, in the bone marrow, or in other organs. No cause for hydrops other than the aplastic anemia was identified.