A Systematic Approach to Pregnancy-Specific Liver Disorders

Consultation for liver disease during pregnancy is challenging for both the hepatologist and gynecologist, as normal physiologic changes during pregnancy can mimic chronic liver disease. Pregnancy-specific liver disorders are leading causes of abnormal liver function tests during pregnancy. Moreover...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gastroenterology & hepatology 2021-07, Vol.17 (7), p.322-329
Main Authors: Verma, Dhruv, Saab, Adelaide M, Saab, Sammy, El-Kabany, Mohamed
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Consultation for liver disease during pregnancy is challenging for both the hepatologist and gynecologist, as normal physiologic changes during pregnancy can mimic chronic liver disease. Pregnancy-specific liver disorders are leading causes of abnormal liver function tests during pregnancy. Moreover, up to 3% of all pregnant women in developed countries experience liver diseases nonspecific to pregnancy. When severe, pregnancy-specific liver disorders are associated with significant morbidity and mortality for both the mother and the fetus. The main factors that determine maternal prognosis are the type of liver disease; degree of impaired synthetic, metabolic, and excretory liver function; and timing of delivery. This article focuses on a systematic approach to diagnosing and managing pregnancy-specific liver disorders, which includes understanding normal findings in pregnancy, excluding liver diseases nonspecific to pregnancy, factoring in trimester status, and using clinical clues to make a diagnosis and provide treatment in a timely fashion.
ISSN:1554-7914