Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP): What You Need to Know

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a rare condition in which too much fat accumulates in the liver. If detected early enough, the damage is minimal. However, left untreated or poorly treated the condition can cause liver failure and even death. Although AFLP is rare, it cannot be predicted or prevented. In the past, the condition was almost always fatal. However, thanks to medical advances, mortality from AFLP has been greatly reduced.

Who gets AFLP?

AFLP is a rare condition affecting one in every 7,000 to 11,000 pregnancies. It normally occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy but can occur any time during the second half of pregnancy (after twenty weeks gestation.) However, it can also occur during the period immediately following delivery. AFLP most often affects first-time pregnancies. Although the condition does not usually affect subsequent pregnancies, in some cases AFLP can recur.

What causes AFLP?

The exact cause of the condition is not known. In many cases, however, AFLP has been found to be associated with an abnormality of fatty-acid metabolism as a result of a deficiency in LCHAD. The deficiency of LCHAD results in the accumulation of fatty acid in the liver. When this occurs in the fetus, it brings on the disease in the mother. In such cases, the disease is known to be genetic, following autosomal recessive pattern. Because its cause is known, genetic testing can take place to possibly prevent the disease. However, this form of the condition only occurs in a fraction of AFLP cases. In the remainder of AFLP cases, the cause is unknown.

What are the symptoms of AFLP?