Interferon-alpha for treatment of essential thrombocythemia during pregnancy: case report and review of the literature.

Described as a myeloproliferative disorder mainly affecting elderly women, recent reports now confirm the occurrence of essential thrombocythemia at younger ages, which questions treatment during pregnancy. We report a further case of uneventful full term pregnancy with the use of interferon-alpha for maternal essential thrombocythemia which suggests that interferon-alpha could be considered as an effective and safe treatment during pregnancy for women with essential thrombocythemia. Further studies are warranted to determine whether interferon-alpha is the optimal therapeutic option during pregnancy for this patient population. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.