Main Article Content
Abstract
The combination of severe preeclampsia (PE) and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (IHCP) in multiple pregnancies is considered one of the most unfavorable obstetric situations due to the combined maternal and perinatal risks. According to recent meta-analyses, IHCP increases the risk of developing PE by 2.6 times and is diagnosed 3-5 times more frequently in multiple pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies.
It is characterized by earlier manifestation and higher serum bile acid levels. This clinical case of a 27-year-old primigravida carrying monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA) twins after her fourth attempt at IVF/ICSI/PICSI is presented. The pregnancy was complicated by severe preeclampsia and IHCP. Timely diagnosis, multidisciplinary management, and informed early delivery prevented maternal and perinatal losses. Intraoperatively, the fetuses were diagnosed with complex intertwining and multiple knots of the umbilical cords, a characteristic complication of MCMA twins; stage I twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) was confirmed.
Keywords
Article Details
Information about financing and conflict of interests
The authors declare that they have no apparent or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
How to Cite
References
1. Hobson SR, Cohen ER, Gandhi S, Jain V, Niles KM, Roy-Lacroix MÈ, Wo BL. Guideline No. 452: Diagnosis and management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2024; 46(8):102618. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2024.102618
2. European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of liver diseases in pregnancy. J Hepatol. 2023; 79(3): 768-828. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.03.006
3. Chantanahom N, Phupong V. Clinical risk factors for preeclampsia in twin pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021; 16(4): e0249555. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249555
4. Dai F, Pan S, Lan Y, Tan H, Li J, Hua Y. Pregnancy outcomes and risk factors for preeclampsia in dichorionic twin pregnancies after in vitro fertilization: a five-year retrospective study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022; 22(1): 830. doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-05184-y
5. Huang X, Gu H, Shen P, Zhang X, Fei A. Systematic review and meta-analysis: evaluating the influence of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy on obstetric and neonatal outcomes. PLoS One. 2024; 19(6): e0304604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304604
6. Axelsen SM, Schmidt MC, Kampmann U, Grønbæk H, Fuglsang J. The effect of twin pregnancy in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: a case-control study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024; 103(10): 1994-2001. doi: 10.1111/aogs.14928
7. Su J, Ma L, Xiong X, Gu X, Wang Y, Jia K. Metabonomics of serum bile acids in patients with pre-eclampsia. Sci Rep. 2025; 15: 34028. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13611-1