Acute fatty liver of pregnancy: laparoscopy-assisted diagnosis

Abstract

We report a case of fatty infiltration of the liver in a 27-year-old Hispanic woman. She went to an outside hospital in her third trimester of pregnancy with abdominal pain, jaundice, peripheral edema, and diffuse intravascular coagulation. An emergent cesarean section was performed, and she developed symptoms of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis and altered mental status. She was transferred to Harbor County Hospital, where a computed tomography scan showed a fatty liver, and a liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of fatty liver of pregnancy. Prompt recognition and immediate termination of pregnancy with intensive, supportive care are essentials in the management of fatty liver of pregnancy.