Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Pregnancy; Still Rare, Still Occurring Still Devastating - A Case Report in A Pregnant Nigerian Woman

Author(s): Esike Chidi OU, Anozie Okechukwu B,Ajayi Nnennaya A, Aja Leonard O, Ukaegbe Chukwuemeka I, Umeora Odidika UJ, Iyare Festus E

Although hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatoma is estimated to cause about one million deaths annually, it is a very rare condition in pregnancy. Despite its being rare in pregnancy, it still occurs with a lot of devastation to afflicted patients. Some authorities say that morbidity and mortality have improved over time as diagnoses have tended to be made earlier and patients have received surgical and other treatments. Other workers have however reported a maternal mortality of one hundred percent with death occurring either antenatally or immediately postpartum. The rarity of this cancer coupled with the often times vague way of presentation make the diagnosis to be often missed or the disease to be detected late when cure is impossible. We present one such case, the 57th reported case in the world in English literature in a pregnant Nigerian woman with hepatoma in pregnancy.

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