[Subcapsular hematoma of the liver, a complication of pregnancy toxemia].

The authors report three cases of subcapsular liver hematomas occurring after delivery and diagnosed by ultrasonography (1 case), and exploratory laparotomy (2 cases). These three cases compared with the data from the literature, illustrate the conditions of occurrence and the clinical signs of subcapsular liver hematomas during pregnancy or in the post-partum period. The frequency of this complication is most likely underestimated, since benign forms remain latent and the severe forms, responsible for sudden death, eludes the diagnosis in the absence of anatomical confirmation.