Werner's Syndrome: Incidental Finding During Pregnancy
December 2013
in “
BMJ case reports
”
TLDR A pregnant woman with Werner's syndrome died during childbirth, but her baby survived and did not have the syndrome.
The document described a case of Werner's syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by premature aging, which was incidentally discovered during pregnancy in a 27-year-old woman. She presented with uncontrolled hypertension at 32 weeks of gestation and exhibited typical WS symptoms such as early aging of the skin, hair loss, blurred vision, and type 2 diabetes. Genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis. Due to complications like oligohydramnios, a caesarean section was performed, but the patient died intraoperatively from cardiac arrest. The newborn survived and tested negative for WS. This case underscored the importance of recognizing WS's clinical features and the need for a multidisciplinary approach in managing such complex cases during pregnancy.