Alteraciones hepáticas durante el embarazo

During pregnancy, biochemical evaluation of the liver is affected in many significan ways. Alkaline phosphatase increases in the third trimester and rapidly returns to the normal limits after delivery. This increase is clearly secondary to the placental isoenzyme. AST and ALT are usually normal and GGTP doens't changes significantly. Hepatic flow remains unchanged and estrogen levels increase leading to several metabolic and cutaneous changes, such as hepatic palms and systemic vasodilatation. Liver diseases that occur during pregnancy can be classified as follows: a) Entities exclusive of pregnancy, b) Pregnancy associated diseases, and c) Previous liver diseases. The first group included: 1. Cholestasis of pregnancy, described mainly in Scandinavian and Chilean women and characterized by pruritus in the third trimester, biochemical evidence of cholestasis, increased frequency of cholelitiasis and fetal problems. The entity usually recurs in other pregnancies or during exposure to estrogens. Prognosis is good and the patient improves rapidly after delivery. Several reports have shown that s-Adenosyl-Methionine can be effective. 2) Hyperemesis gravidarum, characterized by protacted vomiting associated to significant malnutrition. Liver function tests are usually abnormal and the liver biopsy shows no specific changes. Prognosis is usually good and most of the patients improved spontaneously. 3) Acute fatty liver, is one of the causes of liver failure during the third trimester and is associated with a very high maternal mortality. Clinically the patient presents with encephalopathy, biochemical evidence of liver failure and microvesicular fat in the liver...(AU)