Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
HELLP syndrome causes
Introduction
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Causes
Causes
- A cause for HELLP syndrome has not been found.
- HELLP syndrome occurs in about 1 to 2 out of 1,000 pregnancies, and in 10-20% of pregnant women with severe preeclampsia or eclampsia.
- Most often HELLP develops before the pregnancy is 37 weeks along. Sometimes it can develop in the week after the baby is born.
- Many women have high blood pressure and are diagnosed with preeclampsia before they develop HELLP syndrome.
- However, in some cases, HELLP symptoms are the first warning of preeclampsia and the condition is misdiagnosed as:
- Flu or other viral illness
- Gallbladder disease
- Hepatitis
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Lupus flare
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]