Giant vulva oedema in pregnancy precipitated by anaemic heart failure: A case report

Abstract

We report a case of vulva oedema in a 19-year old multigravida at 30 weeks gestational age with severe anaemia complicated by heart failure. The vulva oedema appeared and rapidly increased in size as features of anaemic heart failure set in. Other causes of vulva oedema were ruled out. She was  transfused with six units of packed red cells and the oedema subsided by the 10th day. She developed intrauterine fetal death while on in-patient  admission, and subsequently, had spontaneous labour and delivery of a  macerated stillborn male neonate. The aim of this report is to alert clinicians that severe anaemia with vulva oedema may be a poor prognostic index  associated with intrauterine foetal death.