Pulmonary venoocclusive disease in pregnancy.

A 23-year-old woman in her 27th week of gestation presented with clinical findings of progressive pulmonary hypertension. After cardiac catheterization she went into labor and was delivered by cesarean section. She died shortly thereafter from right heart failure. Pulmonary venoocclusive disease was found at autopsy. Hemodynamic changes during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period may have contributed to her deterioration and death. This is the first description of pulmonary venoocclusive disease in pregnancy.