Protein S is an endogenous anticoagulant that functions as a cofactor to activated protein C in the cleavage of clotting factors Va and VIIIa. Protein S deficiency, both hereditary and acquired forms, is a rare clinical condition, which usually manifests clinically as venous thromboembolism. Adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with protein S deficiency include recurrent fetal loss, intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and intra-uterine death. Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis is one of the rare manifestations of isolated protein S deficiency. We report a pregnant patient with hereditary protein S deficiency who presented with an acute abdomen, later diagnosed as acute mesenteric ischaemia secondary to acute mesenteric venous thrombosis.
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