Acute chest syndrome during pregnancy as initial presentation of sickle cell disease: a case report.

A 24-year-old woman in her third trimester of pregnancy presented with pulmonary symptoms consistent with acute chest syndrome (ACS). This was her first lifetime manifestation of sickle cell disease. Given the severity of ACS in a patient with no previous symptoms of the disease, we discuss the pathophysiology behind the development of ACS and the importance of practitioner vigilance during sickle cell patients' pregnancies.