Acute fatty liver in pregnancy.
When confronted with liver abnormalities during the third trimester of pregnancy, one should consider acute fatty liver of pregnancy. The differential diagnosis with (pre-)eclampsia and HELLP syndrome is sometimes difficult. In these cases a liver biopsy is helpful though rarely performed during pregnancy. After delivery of the child the liver test abnormalities will ultimately disappear. Recent publications reveal that a dysfunction in the beta-oxidation of mitochondrial fatty acids may contribute to the aetiology of this rare disorder. We describe a case of acute fatty liver in pregnancy, with liver dysfunction (decreased albumin, prolonged prothrombin time) slowly returning to normal after delivery. Testing for disorders in beta-oxidation of mitochondrial fatty acids did not reveal abnormalities in mother or child.
Tan
A C I T L
AC
Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Centre St Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. a.tan@hccnet.nl
van Krieken
J H J M
JH
Peters
W H M
WH
Steegers
E A P
EA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*