HELLP syndrome is a life-threatening pregnancy complication usually considered to be a variant of preeclampsia. Both conditions usually occur during the later stages of pregnancy, or sometimes after childbirth. It has been known for a long time that preeclampsia may be associated with haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia. Weinstein regarded signs and symptoms to constitute an entity separated from severe preeclampsia and in 1982 named the condition HELLP (H = Haemolysis, EL = Elevated Liver enzymes, LP = Low Platelets) syndrome. The HELLP is currently regarded as a variant of severe preeclampsia or a complication. Diagnosis of the complete form of the HELLP syndrome requires the presence of all 3 major components, while partial or incomplete HELLP syndrome consists of only 1 or 2 elements of the triad (H or EL or LP).
