[Icteric complications related to pregnancy vomiting in the 1st trimester (hyperemesis gravidarum). Review of the literature apropos of a case].

The authors report a case of jaundice occurring secondary to severe vomiting in pregnancy in the first trimester. This is a rare clinical entity (occurring in 0.2-3 cases per thousand) although some people say it does not exist. The physiopathology is still badly understood but it occurs most often between the fourth and eighth week of amenorrhoea. It is characterised by jaundice occurring secondarily to vomiting in the first trimester, with a rise in the bilirubin level in the blood and in the alkaline phosphatases. Sometimes there is a slight rise in the transaminases. The diagnosis can only be arrived at after having excluded all the other possible causes of jaundice which are mentioned in the text. Furthermore the way the condition progresses is an important argument for its aetiology because once vomiting ceases the jaundice goes. The treatment has to be symptomatic with correction of the dehydration.