Multimodality imaging of hepato-biliary disorders in pregnancy: a pictorial essay

Hepato-biliary disorders are rare complications of pregnancy, but they may be severe, with high fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Imaging is, therefore, essential in the rapid diagnosis of some of these conditions so that appropriate, life-saving treatment can be administered. This pictorial essay illustrates the multimodality imaging features of pregnancy-induced hepato-biliary disorders, such as acute fatty liver of pregnancy, preeclamsia and eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome, as well as those conditions which occur in pregnancy but are not unique to it, such as viral hepatitis, Budd-Chiari syndrome, focal hepatic lesions, biliary sludge, cholecystolithiasis, and choledocholithiasis.