[Acute fatty liver in pregnancy. Current concepts].

The acute pregnancy liver fat (APLF) is an illness that occurs exclusively during pregnancy. Its cause is unknown and it only appears during the second half of pregnancy, specially between 32 and 36 weeks. Usually the APLF symptoms starts one to two weeks before hospitalization with nausea, emesis, general uneasiness, jaundice, epigastric pain and other symptoms. As to the laboratories: white cells count, bilirubin, transaminase, coagulation period and amonio increases; on the other hand, the platelets, hemoglobin, glycemia, fybrinogen and antitrombin III decreases. The hepatic biopsy should be left for those atypical cases. The ultrasonogram and the CAT scan does not evidences precision in the diagnoses, yet still they are useful to disregard any other hepatic pathologies. The maternal outcome has improved enormously during the last decade, since recent studies performed in developed and underdeveloped countries have coincided in not finding maternal death. Fetal prognosis has also improved, nevertheless there is a mortality rate of 20%. Early diagnosis, pregnancy interuption and handling in special care or treating complications has lead to good materno-fetal results.