[Liver diseases and pregnancy]

The pregnancy determines a deep variation in the human physiology mediated through sexual hormones. These changes can entail the appearance of diseases that affect the liver such as hyperemesis gravidarum, HELLP syndrome, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and acute fatty liver of pregnancy. The knowledge of the specific features of these diseases is crucial for their prompt recognition, since they are uncommon diseases in the clinical daily setting of the hepatologist. In addition, several preexisting chronic hepatopathies, including the liver post-transplant status, can affect the course of pregnancy and the maternal-fetal health. Understanding the distinct hepatic diseases which develop during pregnancy must be based on the knowledge of the perceptible physiological changes both on physical examination and laboratory tests which occur during the uneventful gestation.