Mulu Zelalem, Nur Abdulsemed, Belachew Hiwot, Assefa Wubshet
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Int Med Case Rep J. 2023 Aug 9;16:457-459. doi: 10.2147/IMCRJ.S416955. eCollection 2023.
Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a rare, potentially fatal liver disorder that occurs in late pregnancy. It is characterized by pruritus, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes, with spontaneous relief of signs and symptoms after birth. Early detection and treatment are required due to the potential risk of fetal complications, including fetal death. A 30-year-old woman with deeply icteric sclera and skin scratch marks presented to a gastroenterology-hepatology referral clinic. Her liver enzymes, bilirubin levels, and serum bile acid levels were all abnormally high. She also disclosed similar symptoms in her previous pregnancy, which resulted in fetal death at the sixth month. With a presumptive diagnosis of recurrent ICP, the patient was started on ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) pills, which significantly improved her pruritus and returned her bile acid levels to normalcy after 2 months of treatment. The delivery was uneventful. We believe that a proper diagnosis combined with UDCA treatment and vigilant obstetric follow-up significantly reduced the patient's symptoms and prevented a possible intrauterine death.
妊娠肝内胆汁淤积症(ICP)是一种罕见的、可能致命的肝脏疾病,发生于妊娠晚期。其特征为瘙痒、黄疸和肝酶升高,产后体征和症状可自行缓解。由于存在包括胎儿死亡在内的胎儿并发症的潜在风险,需要早期检测和治疗。一名30岁女性,巩膜深度黄染且有皮肤抓痕,就诊于一家胃肠病学-肝病转诊诊所。她的肝酶、胆红素水平和血清胆汁酸水平均异常升高。她还透露其前次妊娠时有类似症状,导致胎儿在第六个月死亡。初步诊断为复发性ICP后,患者开始服用熊去氧胆酸(UDCA)片,治疗2个月后,瘙痒症状明显改善,胆汁酸水平恢复正常。分娩过程顺利。我们认为,正确的诊断、UDCA治疗以及密切的产科随访显著减轻了患者的症状,并预防了可能的宫内死亡。