Primary hepatic malignancy in pregnant women.

Three women dying from hepatic carcinoma during pregnancy are presented. One of these women with a hepatocellular carcinoma and alpha fetoprotein in the serum and antibody to hepatitis B antigen. A fourth patient died 2 months post partum with a cholangiocarcinoma. A false positive pregnancy test suggested that she had metastatic choriocarcinoma in the liver, and a panhysterectomy was performed. The clinical diagnosis with the use of alpha fetoprotein and chorionic gonadotropin for detection of hepatoma and the etiopathogenesis of primary hepatic malignancy in pregnancy are discussed.