Acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction secondary to Sjogren's syndrome in pregnancy: a case report and literature review

BackgroundIntestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is a rare disease, and its clinical manifestations can resemble mechanical intestinal obstruction leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful surgery. Certain autoimmune diseases have been associated with IPO, however, cases secondary to Sjogren's syndrome (SjS) are especially rare.Case presentationWe described the first case of SjS-associated acute IPO in pregnancy, which was successfully treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy and resulted in an uneventful caesarean delivery.ConclusionsWomen with SjS is likely to experience more complications during pregnancy, and IPO rather than the classic symptoms could be the first sign of SjS flares. IPO should be suspected in patients with unrelenting symptoms of small bowel obstruction, and a multidisciplinary approach can provide optimal management of such high-risk pregnancies.

Automated summary

This article reported a case of acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) associated with Sjogren's syndrome (SjS) in pregnancy, which was successfully treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy and resulted in an uneventful caesarean delivery.