The prevalence of asthma is high, but 'all that wheezes is not asthma'. We present the case of a 38-year-old pregnant woman who had acute severe ventilatory failure initially thought to be an exacerbation of asthma. This delayed the actual diagnosis of haemorrhagic enlargement of a goitre complicated by pre-eclampsia. We also perform a literature review of previous publications. This case highlights the goitrogenic effects of pregnancy and the associated risks of respiratory compromise.
Keywords: Airway obstruction; Asthma; Goitre; Pre-eclampsia; Pregnancy.