The liver in pregnancy: disease vs benign changes.

Liver dysfunction in a pregnant woman may be caused by the pregnancy, it may be unrelated to the pregnancy, or it may be a chronic condition that existed before the pregnancy. In any case, the clinical clues of liver dysfunction in pregnancy are not specific, and certain "abnormalities" in liver function tests may represent benign changes of pregnancy. On the other hand, prompt recognition of the signs of liver disease in pregnant patients leads to timely management and may save the life of both mother and baby.