PMCCPMCCPMCC

Search tips
Search criteria 

Advanced

 
Logo of bmjcrInstructions for authorsCurrent ToCBMJ Case Reports
 
BMJ Case Rep. 2010; 2010: bcr09.2009.2243.
Published online 2010 January 13. doi:  10.1136/bcr.09.2009.2243
PMCID: PMC3028224
Unexpected outcome (positive or negative) including adverse drug reactions
Catastrophic cerebral antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as cerebral infarction with haemorrhagic transformation after sudden withdrawal of warfarin in a patient with primary antiphospholipid syndrome
Abdul Majid Wani,1 Waleed Mohd Hussain,2 Mousa Ali Al Mejally,3 Khaled Shawkat Ali,4 Sadeya Hanif Raja,2 Wael Al Maimani,5 Mazen G Bafaraj,4 Ashraf Bashraheel,4 Mubeena Akhtar,2 and Amer Mohd Khoujah6
1Hera General Hospital, Medicine, 4a/201, Makkah, Western, 21955, Saudi Arabia
2Hera General Hospital, Medicine, Makkah, Western, 21955, Saudi Arabia
3Hera General Hospital, Medicine, Makka-KSA, Makkah, PO Box 20993, Saudi Arabia
4Hera General Hospital, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
5Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
6National Guard Hospital, Medicine, Jeddha, Western, 21955, Saudi Arabia
Abdul Majid Wani, dr_wani_majid/at/yahoo.co.in
Abstract
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is caused by thrombotic vascular occlusions that affect both small and large vessels, producing ischaemia in the affected organs. The “catastrophic” variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome (cAPS) develops over a short period of time. Although patients with cAPS represent <1% of all patients with APS, they are usually life threatening with a 50% mortality rate. A strong association with concomitant infection is thought to act as the main trigger of microthromboses in cAPS. Several theories have been proposed to explain these physiopathological features. Some of them suggest the possibility of molecular mimicry between components of infectious microorganisms and natural anticoagulants, which might be involved in the production of cross-reacting antiphospholipid antibodies. We present a case of catastrophic cerebral APS characterised by massive temporal lobe infarction and subsequent haemorrhagic transformation after sudden withdrawal of warfarin.
Articles from BMJ Case Reports are provided here courtesy of
BMJ Group