Plasmapheresis in Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy: An Effective Treatment

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is an idiopathic disorder with an unknown cause occurring in late pregnancy. The treatment in these patients is often immediate termination of pregnancy, and plasmapheresis provides an effective treatment option. In this paper, we introduce three pregnant women treated with plasmapheresis. The first case was a 22-year-old primigravida woman treated with 22 sessions of plasmapheresis due to AFLP, hepatic and renal failure, coagulopathy, and ventilator-dependent respiratory failure. The second case was a 23-year-old woman in her second pregnancy treated with 4 plasmapheresis sessions due to AFLP, hepatic and renal failure, coagulopathy, and hypoglycemia. The third patient was a 23-year-old primigravida woman treated with 3 plasmapheresis sessions due to AFLP, renal failure, and coagulopathy. Plasmapheresis can be a life-saving treatment in patients with AFLP and is strongly recommended for patients with severity of their disease accompanied by other organ disorders. In addition, shortening the time interval between the termination of pregnancy and initializing plasmapheresis improves the outcome and reduces the duration of hospital stay and sessions of plasmapheresis.