Successful liver transplantation and delivery in a woman with fulminant hepatic failure occurring during the second trimester of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND

Severe liver dysfunction occurring during pregnancy is an unusual but dramatic event that poses special technical and ethical issues because it involves two lives.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We report the case of a 35-year-old woman with cryptogenic fulminant hepatic failure who underwent successful orthotopic liver transplantation at 22 weeks of pregnancy. After a relatively uneventful post-operative course she delivered a normal offspring at the 27th week of gestation. There were no obstetrical complications and neonatal outcome was excellent. After a year of follow-up, the patient is doing well,and the newborn has exhibited normal psychomotor and weight/height development.

CONCLUSION

This case illustrates the challenge of treating fulminant hepatic failure during pregnancy and demonstrates that liver transplantation is a feasible therapeutic option for treatment of patients with this condition, allowing successful completion of pregnancy.