Pseudoxantoma elasticum, as repetitive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage cause in a pregnant woman

Pseudoxantoma elasticum is a rare, hereditary, multisystemic disease affecting the skin, eye, and cardiovascular system. A twenty-eight-year-old female has presented to emergency unit with the complaint of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. This patient, who had been monitored in the gastroenterology clinic more than 10 times in the past 8 years, noted a repetitive hemorrhage during her previous pregnancy in her history. The examination of the patient revealed the following signs and symptoms: atrophy in the epithelium of the retina pigment; typical angioid streaks and peau d'orange finding in the fundus; thinning of the retinal nerve fiber in OCT (optic coherence tomography); bilateral and reticular papillary lesions with yellowish-color in the neck region (plucked chicken appearance); presence of bleeding foci in fundus; and nephrocalcinosis in kidneys. In light of these symptoms, the patient was diagnosed with pseudoxantoma elasticum. Skin biopsy confirmed the pseudoxantoma elasticurn diagnose. PXE is an uncommon, hereditary disease. Early diagnosis of pseudoxantoma elasticurn cases, is important for minimalizing systemic complications and informing the other family members through genetic counseling. (C) 2007 WJG. All rights reserved.