Primary Liver Carcinoma Complicating Pregnancy

EDITORIAL COMMENT": We accepted this case report because the Australian population now has many women who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive. This case will remind readers that primary carcinoma of the liver can occur in such women and that effective management is now available by spectacular major surgery. Ideally all women (and men) who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive should have regular (every 1–2 years) serum alpha fetoprotein estimations to facilitate early diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Summary: Primary hepatic carcinoma complicating pregnancy has been sporadically reported in the literature. Its association with grossly raised serum alphafetoprotein values is of particular interest to obstetricians who perform routine maternal alphafetoprotein screening in the second trimester. A case with favourable maternal and fetal outcome is presented.