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A case of a pregnant woman suffering from homozygous (delta beta) zero-thalassemia clinically running as thalassemia Intermedia is described. In this patient pregnancy could not follow its normal course and was interrupted in the 24th week, because of endouterine death of the foetus due to complications such as serious haemolytic anaemia following transfusional alloimmunisation and the presence of portal vein thrombosis. In this article the literature is reviewed and the need is shown for all thalassemic patients to be tested for the various blood antigenic systems, so that transfusional reactions can be avoided. Stress is laid on the importance of erythropoietin both in the pathogenesis of haematological and rheological modifications in thalassemic patients and also as a trigger in serious thrombotic complications.

The author report a case of pregnancy reaching as far as the 37th week in a patient holding an I.U.D. certainly in site at the beginning of pregnancy and with asymptomatic perforation of the uterus during the pregnancy with incorporation of the device by the omentum. Emphasis is laid on the importance of echographic monitoring for the location of I.U.D.s especially when the anchor thread of the device is not to be found in the vagina and initial pregnancy is suspected. On the other hand, as yet available data are not sufficient for assessing the influence of copper devices on the fetal condition.