Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in pregnancy represents a rare but life-threatening clinical challenge. Standard therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and immunosuppressive therapy are limited during pregnancy due to safety concerns, leaving supportive care as the mainstay. Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) such as eltrombopag have emerged as promising agents in refractory SAA, though evidence of their safety in pregnancy remains scarce. We present the case of a 27-year-old woman with SAA post-allogeneic bone marrow transplant who relapsed during subsequent pregnancies. Her disease course was characterized by recurrent pancytopenia, mixed chimerism, and repeated need for stem cell boosts. During pregnancy in 2023, discontinuation of cyclosporine led to worsening cytopenias, prompting reintroduction of cyclosporine and the continuation of eltrombopag. This combined approach, alongside G-CSF and stem cell boosts, contributed to favorable hematologic stabilization. She successfully delivered a healthy infant and achieved hematologic recovery following a third stem cell boost postpartum. This report highlights the potential utility of TPO-RAs during pregnancy when conventional therapy is limited, while emphasizing the need for vigilant monitoring of maternal–fetal outcomes. A review of the literature suggests that although routine use of eltrombopag in pregnancy is not recommended, it may be considered in refractory SAA cases with careful risk–benefit assessment. The case underscores the role of multidisciplinary care, individualized therapeutic planning, and the need for further studies on TPO-RAs in pregnancy-associated bone marrow failure syndromes.
Saleh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.