Pregnancy in hepatitis B antigen positive cirrhosis.

Two pregnant women with chronic active viral hepatitis (HBs Ag+) and cirrhosis are described. In the first patient, maternal death occurred postpartum due to bleeding esophageal varices and liver and renal failure. Postmortem examination revealed advanced nodular cirrhosis and thrombosis of the splenic and portal veins. The infant was premature but did well and did not become infected despite the detection of HBsAg in the cord blood. Nine members of the patient's immediate family were tested; the blood of one sibling of the patient was found to be HBsAg+ and samples from 5 other members were found to be anti-HBs+. In the second patient, death due to liver failure occurred in the seventh month of pregnancy and postmortem examination revealed advanced nodular cirrhosis. Examination of multiple fluids from the mother and fetus were negative for HBsAg. In contrast to the apparent lack of effect of pregnancy on cirrhosis of the liver in general, the possibility of an adverse effect in this particular type(HBs Ag+) should be considered.