Risk factors for ischemic antiphospholipid syndrome: A case-control study

Stroke and Risk Factors in Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Stroke is considered one of the most common and life-threatening manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which leads to high mortality and permanent disability. This study investigated the prevalence and the potential risk factors of stroke in APS. We enrolled 361 APS patients retrospectively from 2009 to 2022 at Peking University People's Hospital. Stroke was found in 25.8% (93/361) of the participants. The multivariate logistic regression showed that hypertension, diabetes, livedo reticularis, and other central nervous system involvements were significant related factors for stroke. The use of hydroxychloroquine appeared to relate to a lower incidence of stroke. During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, 11.8% (11/93) of the individuals with a previous stroke developed stroke recurrence, and thrombocytopenia seemed to be a predictor of stroke recurrence.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in a 17-Year-Old Female Patient: A Case Report

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare disorder predominantly affecting young women. Clinical presentation is not specific and varies depending on the location of the thrombus. The diagnosis requires clinical suspicion with confirmation by images. Guidelines for treatment recommend heparin during the acute phase even in patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhage. It is associated with a good prognosis when diagnosed and treated promptly. We present a case of CVT and intraparenchymal hemorrhage in a 17-year-old female with severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and altered mental status. The patient was diagnosed with CVT secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). She showed improvement after anticoagulation and corticosteroids.

Antiphospholipid syndrome-mediated acute cerebrovascular diseases and long-term outcomes

OBJECTIVES

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease associated with thrombotic and non-thrombotic neurologic manifestations. APS is classified as primary (PAPS) or secondary (SAPS) when it co-exists with another autoimmune disease. We aim to describe the spectrum of acute cerebrovascular disease among patients with APS, their differences between stroke subtypes, and long-term functional outcomes.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study including adult (≥18 years) patients with APS followed in the stroke clinic of a tertiary-care reference center for autoimmune diseases in Mexico from 2009 to 2019.

RESULTS

We studied 120 cases; 99 (82.5%) women; median age 43 years (interquartile range 35-52); 63.3% with SAPS. Demographics, comorbidities, and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) positivity were similar between APS type and stroke subtypes. Amongst index events, we observed 84 (70%) acute ischemic strokes (AIS), 19 (15.8%) cerebral venous thromboses (CVT), 11 (9.2%) intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH), and six (5%) subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH). Sixty-seven (55.8%) were known patients with APS; the median time from APS diagnosis to index stroke was 46 months (interquartile range 12-96); 64.7% of intracranial hemorrhages (ICH or SAH) occurred ≥4 years after APS was diagnosed (23.5% anticoagulation-related); 63.2% of CVT cases developed before APS was diagnosed or simultaneously. Recurrences occurred in 26 (22.8%) patients, AIS, in 18 (69.2%); intracranial hemorrhage, in eight (30.8%). Long-term functional outcomes were good (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) in 63.2% of cases, during follow-up, the all-cause mortality rate was 19.2%.

CONCLUSION

We found no differences between stroke subtypes and APS types. aPL profiles were not associated with any of the acute cerebrovascular diseases described in this cohort. CVT may be an initial thrombotic manifestation of APS with low mortality and good long-term functional outcome.

The high prevalence of abnormal MRI findings in non-neuropsychiatric patients with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies

OBJECTIVES

Thrombosis occurring in the central nerve system is common in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients, leading to neuropsychiatric symptoms. We investigated the prevalence of silent brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) carriers and assessed the association between the vascular risk factors, aPL profile, clinical manifestations, and MRI abnormalities.

METHODS

We consecutively included 44 PAPS patients, 24 aPL carriers and 23 healthy controls with comparable age and gender in a single-center, observational cross-sectional study. None of the patients had a history of stroke, TIA, migraine, dementia, epilepsy and bipolar disorders. On cerebral MRI, we assessed the imaging features and location of abnormality. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the risk factors contributing to the MRI abnormalities.

RESULTS

38 (55.88%) patients persisted abnormal MRI findings, while only one healthy control showed some abnormalities in the MR findings. Lacunes were the most frequent MRI abnormality in aPL (+) group (31/68, 45.59%), which were followed by white matter hyperintensities (20/68, 29.41%). In all study population, age (OR = 1.086, p= 0.016) and LA positivity (OR = 5.191, p= 0.002) were the independent associated factors with the brain MRI abnormalities. When analyzed only in the aPL (+) group, age (OR = 1.116, p= 0.007), female gender (OR = 7.519, p= 0.025) and thrombocytopenia (OR = 8.336, p= 0.047) were the significant independent risk factors with abnormal MRI.

CONCLUSIONS

PAPS patients and aPL carriers showed a high prevalence of brain MRI abnormalities, indicating an increased cerebrovascular risk, which emphasized attention to silent cerebral lesions in persistently aPL positive patients.