Alport syndrome and pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Alport syndrome is a disorder associated with mutations in the type IV collagen gene and manifested by progressive glomerulonephritis. Little is known about the effect of Alport syndrome on pregnancy outcome. CASE: We report a patient with Alport syndrome whose pregnancy was complicated by rapidly progressive severe preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and acute renal failure. At 25 weeks of gestation, termination of pregnancy was performed. The patient's renal function was well controlled before pregnancy, but had not recovered at 6 months postpartum, requiring ongoing hemodialysis. CONCLUSION: Alport syndrome in pregnancy has the potential for disease acceleration with rapid parallel progression of vasculopathy in the placental and renal circulations.