[Ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. A case report]

Abstract

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a rare disorder of unknown origin with a symptomatically distressing maternal course with pruritus and icterus as the chief complaints. The disease poses little medical risk to the mother, but poses significantly risk to the fetus of perinatal mortality, preterm delivery, fetal distress, and meconium staining. Beside the pruritus and the high level of bilirubin in the serum the increased values of parameters showing the liver function and of alkaline phosphatase activity are characteristic. Ursodeoxycholic acid is the only therapeutic modality whose effectiveness was proven by controlled trial.

Case report: The authors demonstrate the case of a 29 year old woman who developed intrahepatic cholestasis with the characteristic clinical and laboratory findings at the 33rd week of her pregnancy. The clinical complains disappeared and the liver function tests were better after the applied ursodeoxycholic acid treatment. The delivery was carried out without complications with a healthy newborn baby.

Discussion and conclusion: On the basis of the data in the literature and of this case report the authors recommend the ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in the management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.