Spontaneous liver hematoma in pregnancy not clearly associated with preeclampsia: a case presentation and literature review.

Spontaneous liver hemorrhage with formation of subcapsular hematomas and rupture of Glissan's capsule is a rare but often lethal complication of pregnancy. This entity has usually been associated with severe preeclampsia or the HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome. A case of spontaneous subcapsular hematoma of the liver occurring in the third trimester is presented in which the patient probably had neither preeclampsia nor the HELLP syndrome. The literature on liver hematomas in pregnancy published since 1982 when the term HELLP syndrome was coined is reviewed with a focus on the association of liver hematomas with preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome. Therapy and maternal and neonatal outcomes for this entity are reassessed.