OCCURRENCE OF HEPATIC IMPAIRMENT IN WOMEN JAUNDICED BY ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND IN THEIR MOTHERS AND SISTERS

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Abstract
The occurrence of hepatic impairment has been investigated in women jaundiced by oral contraceptives and among their mothers and sisters. A comparison was made with a matched control group, the investigated material thus comprising 129 matched pairs. It could be shown that the patients had experienced pruritus and jaundice during pregnancy more often than the controls. The patient group also showed a higher incidence of hepatitis, gall stone symptoms and cholecystectomy. The patients' mothers had experienced pruritus during pregnancy to a greater extent than their controls. The patients' sisters showed a significantly higher incidence of pruritus during pregnancy and oral contraceptive treatment than their controls. Gall stone symptoms and cholecystectomy were also found more often in the group of the patients' sisters. The present study supports the hypothesis that genetic factors play a part in the occurrence of jaundice during oral contraception and late pregnancy. The investigation also indicates that patients with jaundice due to oral contraceptive treatment must be considered as high risk patients with regard to their proneness to develop gall bladder disease.