Acute fatty liver of pregnancy. A reassessment based on observations in nine patients
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1-1-1987
Journal
Annals of Internal Medicine
Volume
106
Issue
5
DOI
10.7326/0003-4819-106-5-703
Abstract
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy was diagnosed in nine patients over a 10-year period. Eight patients had severe hepatic dysfunction typical for this syndrome and one had subclinical disease but typical hepatic histologic findings. All patients survived with little fetal wastage; all had preeclampsia. Histologic findings included cholestasis, hepatocellular necrosis, and inflammation, as well as microvesicular fat. Histologic findings from biopsy specimens of four of seven patients were initially misinterpreted as hepatitis. This disorder may have both a broad clinical and histologic spectrum; it is probably not rare but often misdiagnosed, perhaps as viral hepatitis. The concurrence of this disorder with toxemia of pregnancy suggests that these entities may be pathophysiologically related.
APA Citation
Riely, C., Latham, P., Romero, R., & Duffy, T. (1987). Acute fatty liver of pregnancy. A reassessment based on observations in nine patients. Annals of Internal Medicine, 106 (5). http://dx.doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-106-5-703