[Sub-capsular hematoma of the liver during pregnancy: a case report]

Abstract

A sub-capsular haematoma of the liver is a rare but very serious complication of pregnancy. We report a case of a primipara whose pregnancy was first complicated by hypertension, then by a haematoma of the liver at the 28th week of amenorrhoea. It was diagnosed because of the clinical symptoms associated with the hypertension and a pain in the right hypochondrium and nausea. The diagnosis of haematoma of the liver was made before rupture and confirmed by ultrasound of the liver and by tomodensitometry made it possible to avoid operating on the liver during the laparotomy that was carried out to terminate the pregnancy. Regular X-ray follow-ups showed that the lesion had regressed in six months. MRI investigation of the parenchyma of the liver showed no cause of the lesions. If there is even the slightest suspicion of a haematoma of the liver in pregnancy, ultrasound nowadays should be carried out because it is indispensable to make the diagnosis.