Intrahepatic Cholestasis Of Pregnancy
Description
A condition associated with pregnancy in which the flow of bile from the gallbladder to the small intestine is slowed or blocked. This disorder usually occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy. The disease is not dangerous for the mother but can be harmful for the unborn baby. The following conditions increase the risk of this disorder: family history of the disorder, carrying multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets etc.), and mother's with previous liver damage.
Symptoms
Itching, jaundiced (yellow) skin or eyes, inability to digest certain foods, nausea, vomiting, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, organ failure in cases of sepsis (but not from cholestasis itself), rash or fever in some cases of drug-induced cholestasis, clay-colored or white stools, dark urine.
Tests
A history and physical exam will be performed.
- CBC
- Chem 12
- Lipase
- BHCG
- CT Scan
- MRI
- Ultrasound
Treatment
Therapy is aimed at reducing the symptoms and delivering the baby as soon as the fetal lungs are mature enough for delivery.
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