Week 2 - Anti Phospholipid Syndrome

Question 1

what is anti phospholipid antibody syndrome?

Answer 1

antiphospholipid antibodies form which causes hypercoagulable blood

Question 2

what are the main manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome?

Answer 2

recurrent venous or arterial thrombosim without cause

foetal loss

Question 3

is antiphospholipid syndrome primary or secondary?

Answer 3

can be either

can be primary or associated with SLE or other rheumatic or autoimmune disease

Question 4

what are 2 common findings in APS?

Answer 4

migranes

levido retivularis

Question 5

what are the potential dangers of APS?

Answer 5

risk of stroke due to thrombus or emboli (esp. young people)
libman - sacks (sterile) endocarditis
recurrent PE - can lead to pulmonary hypertension
catastrophic APS - multi organ infarction over short time
spontaneous late or recurrent early foetal loss

Question 6

how is APS investigated?

Answer 6

autoantibodies
prolongation of APTT
FBC - thrombocytopenia

Question 7

what autoantibodies are associated with APS?

Answer 7

lupus anticoagulant
beta 2 glycoprotein
anti cardiolipin

Question 8

how is APS treated?

Answer 8

only if the patient has had an episode of thrombosis or recurrent pregnancy loss
after thrombosis - anti-coagulation (warfarin)
in pregnancy - LMWH