[Fatty liver in pregnancy. A report of two cases and medical literature review].Ginecol Obstet Mex. 2006 Mar; 74(3):164-9.GO
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is an uncommon and potentially fatal disorder usually found in the third trimester of pregnancy and the early days postpartum. It is characterized by a micro vesicular stheatosis of the liver, which is reversible with complete regression of the disease. We present two clinical cases, in the first one the patient developed encephalopathy and hypoglycemia in her third day post cesarean section; the patient underwent surgical exploration because of a subaponeurotic hematoma and the diagnosis was confirmed by liver biopsy. The patient presented spontaneous resolution of the disease and was discharged home on her 21st day after delivery. The second case was a patient on her 37th week of pregnancy that arrived to the emergency room complaining of malaise, nausea and vomit, her laboratory analyses were remarkable hypoglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia. She underwent elective pregnancy termination with a favorable maternal and fetal outcome towards spontaneous resolution. It is critical to diagnose and treat this disease in a expedite manner in order to have a favorable maternal and fetal outcome. The mortality rate has decreased dramatically from 80% in 1965 to 100% survival in 1999 according to the latest reviews. This regression of the symptoms and signs along with normalization of the laboratory values has driven some authors to call this disease as the "reversible peripartum liver failure".
