Pathogenesis of acute renal failure associated with the HELLP syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Acute renal failure is a rare but serious complication of pregnancy. We describe a 31-year-old woman with haemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP syndrome) who developed acute peripartum renal failure. Renal biopsy performed 2 weeks later because of persistent oliguria revealed thrombotic microangiopathy and acute tubular necrosis. This case highlights the probable pathogenesis of acute renal failure in HELLP patients and explains why it resolves in the majority of cases. A review of the literature that describes renal histology in HELLP patients is presented. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.