ABSTRACT
PIP: Budd Chiari Syndrome, characterized by massive ascites, hepatomegaly, abdominal pain, and tenderness, nausea, and vomiting, is caused by obstruction of the hepatic venous outflow. Of the known causes of polycythemia rubra vera, hypernephroma, and other tumors invading the inferior vena cava have been most often reported, while pregnancy and oral contraceptives (OCs) have also been held as causes. In this paper the case is presented of a young woman, previously on OCs for 4 months, who developed the syndrome 2 weeks after delivery; she was also found to have multiple hepatic adenomas on laparotomy. The longterm use of OCs has been estimated to be associated with an annual incidence of liver cell adenoma of 3-4/100,000. Evidence suggests that the estrogen components, rather than the progesterone, of OCs seem more likely to cause liver cell adenoma since estrogens are carcinogenic in other organs and promote liver cell regeneration in rats. By interference with the metabolism of oncogenic bile salt derivatives, estrogen may exert its oncogenic effect. The patient is this case was told never to use OCs again since there is also evidence that the tumor may regress on stopping OCs, and she was advised against further pregnancies.^ieng
