HELLP syndrome

Women with HELLP syndrome often "do not look very sick."

Edema may occur but its absence does not exclude HELLP syndrome.

HELLP Syndrome, a medical condition affecting pregnant women.

These include preeclampsia, the HELLP syndrome, and acute fatty liver of pregnancy.

Blood tests to check for blood abnormalities (as in HELLP syndrome) and for signs of kidney damage.

The HELLP syndrome is more common, probably about 1 in 500 maternities, but may be as dangerous as eclampsia itself.

While generally benign, it may herald three complications of pregnancy: pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and eclampsia.

HELLP syndrome is a life-threatening obstetric complication usually considered to be a variant or complication of pre-eclampsia.

Partial HELLP syndrome is characterized by 1-2 features of HELLP.

TTD also affects the mother of the affected child during pregnancy, when she may experience pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and develop HELLP syndrome.

In one 1995 study, a positive D-dimer test in the presence of preeclampsia was reported to be predictive of patients who will develop HELLP syndrome.

HELLP syndrome was identified as a distinct clinical entity (as opposed to severe pre-eclampsia) by Dr. Louis Weinstein in 1982.

There is no specific treatment, but is monitored closely to rapidly identify pre-eclampsia and its life-threatening complications (HELLP syndrome and eclampsia).

Mission is to provide support to affected families, raise awareness about HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count) and to support research.

Diabetes insipidus is also associated with some serious diseases of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and acute fatty liver of pregnancy.

The presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (i.e., in amniotic fluid embolism or HELLP syndrome) also appears to be a factor in its development.

Preeclamptic patients with the HELLP syndrome show liver failure and Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

HELLP syndrome leads to a variant form of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), leading to paradoxical bleeding, which can make emergency surgery a challenge.

In a patient with possible HELLP syndrome, a batch of blood tests is performed: a full blood count, a coagulation panel, liver enzymes, electrolytes, and renal function studies.

The symptoms are also aptly observed in patients during pregnancy or in the weeks after childbirth (puerperium) and may follow the HELLP syndrome or be associated with malignancies.

Often, a patient who develops HELLP syndrome has already been followed up for pregnancy-induced hypertension (gestational hypertension), or is suspected to develop pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and proteinuria).

Several medications have been investigated for the treatment of HELLP syndrome, but evidence is conflicting as to whether magnesium sulfate decreases the risk of seizures and progress to eclampsia.

If severe, pre-eclampsia progresses to fulminant pre-eclampsia, with headaches, visual disturbances, and epigastric pain, and further to the HELLP syndrome and eclampsia.

In addition, with the advancement of the pathophysiological process, other organ symptoms may be present including abdominal pain, liver failure, signs of the HELLP syndrome, pulmonary edema, and oliguria.

Pulmonary edema is found in 6% of all women with HELLP syndrome, and in 44% when HELLP is complicated by acute renal failure.