[Severe epistaxis during pregnancy. A case history (author's transl)]

We report on a case of severe epistaxis in pregnancy with maternal collapse and fetal death. A few similar cases have been published in the literature. These epistaxis happen towards the end of the pregnancy and occur with hyperaemia of the nasal mucosa, which is very probably hormone dependent. Delivery or death of the fetus brings about immediate cessation in the bleeding. The mother's life and that of the fetus can be jeopardised because of the severity of the bleeding or its recurrence, which makes it a very severe condition. When local treatment is useless in such a case two radical treatment have to be considered: the one is surgical, and is ligature of the sphenopalatine artery, and the other is obstetrical, and is termination of the pregnancy (which brings to an end the aetiological factor).