Danazol for thrombocytopenia in pregnancy with underlying systemic lupus erythematosus

A case of full blown systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was treated with steroid. The patient was in remission with low dose of prednisolone for a year. When she became pregnant, there was no relapse of SLE activities in any organ. However, she developed gum bleeding and petechiae due to thrombocytopenia in the second half of the pregnancy. With a normal amount of megakaryocyte in the bone marrow, it was supposed to be due to SLE which no longer responded to even a full dose of steroid. Therefore, danazol 600 mg/day was given orally and she made a complete recovery within one week. She delivered vaginally a normal female newborn without fetal thrombocytopenia or bleeding.