Korean J Med.  2009 Aug;77(Suppl 1):S157-S161.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome presenting with disseminated intravascular coagulation, cerebral infarction, and acute respiratory distress syndrome

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea. jrkoo@hallym.ac.kr

Abstract

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by a combination of arterial or venous thrombosis and recurrent fetal loss accompanied by elevated titers of antiphospholipid antibodies. Catastrophic APS is a small subset of APS, characterized by widespread systemic thrombotic disease with multiorgan failure. The diagnosis of catastrophic APS may be difficult, predominantly due to its frequently atypical presentation. In the present work, we describe a case of a 68-year-old male who presented with cerebral infarction, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with anticoagulants, antibiotics, and steroid therapy. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of this syndrome as a cause of DIC with thrombotic disease because prompt recognition is essential for effective treatment.

Keyword

Antiphospholipid syndrome; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Acute respiratory distress syndrome

MeSH Terms

Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid
Anticoagulants
Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Cerebral Infarction
Dacarbazine
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Humans
Male
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult
Venous Thrombosis
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid
Anticoagulants
Dacarbazine
Full Text Links
  • KJM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr