Reflex sympathetic dystrophy in a patient with the antiphospholipid syndrome

Autonomic neuropathy-in its many guises-as the initial manifestation of the antiphospholipid syndrome

Autonomic disorders have previously been described in association with the antiphospholipid syndrome. The present study aimed to determine the clinical phenotype of patients in whom autonomic dysfunction was the initial manifestation of the antiphospholipid syndrome and to evaluate for autonomic neuropathy in these patients. This was a retrospective study of 22 patients evaluated at the University of Colorado who were found to have a disorder of the autonomic nervous system as the initial manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome. All patients had persistent antiphospholipid antibody positivity and all patients who underwent skin biopsy were found to have reduced sweat gland nerve fiber density suggestive of an autonomic neuropathy. All patients underwent an extensive evaluation to rule out other causes for their autonomic dysfunction. Patients presented with multiple different autonomic disorders, including postural tachycardia syndrome, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and complex regional pain syndrome. Despite most having low-titer IgM antiphospholipid antibodies, 13 of the 22 patients (59%) suffered one or more thrombotic event, but pregnancy morbidity was minimal. Prothrombin-associated antibodies were helpful in confirming the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. We conclude that autonomic neuropathy may occur in association with antiphospholipid antibodies and may be the initial manifestation of the syndrome. Increased awareness of this association is important, because it is associated with a significant thrombotic risk and a high degree of disability. In addition, anecdotal experience has suggested that antithrombotic therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy may result in significant clinical improvement in these patients.

Orthopaedic manifestations of the antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome

The antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome (APS), is characterized by arterial and/or venous thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity in association with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Since its classical description 21 years ago, the clinical spectrum of Hughes syndrome has embraced the realms of obstetrics, nephrology, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology and now, possibly orthopaedics. This is not surprising, given that this disease can affect virtually any organ system and blood vessel of any size and nature. Just as venous thrombosis may affect limbs and internal organs, arterial thrombosis has been shown to affect organs such as the brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver and may also involve the skeleton. In this review, the skeletal aspects of Hughes syndrome, postulated pathogenesis and possible implications of anticoagulation will be discussed. Finally, the approach to APS patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery shall also be outlined.

Musculoskeletal manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome

The scope of clinical and laboratory manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has increased dramatically since its discovery in 1983, where any organ system can be involved. Musculoskeletal complications are consistently reported in APS patients, not only causing morbidity and mortality, but also affecting their quality of life. We reviewed all English papers on APS involvement in the musculoskeletal system using Google Scholar and Pubmed; all reports are summarized in a table in this review. The spectrum of manifestations includes arthralgia/arthritis, avascular necrosis of bone, bone marrow necrosis, complex regional pain syndrome type-1, muscle infarction, non-traumatic fractures, and osteoporosis. Some of these manifestations were reported in good quality studies, some of which showed an association between aPL-positivity and the occurrence of these manifestations, while others were merely described in case reports.

The prevalence of autoantibodies in complex regional pain syndrome type I

Autoimmunity has been suggested as one of the pathophysiologic mechanisms that may underlie complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Screening for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) is one of the diagnostic tests, which is usually performed if a person is suspected to have a systemic autoimmune disease. Antineuronal antibodies are autoantibodies directed against antigens in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of these antibodies in CRPS patients with the normal values of those antibodies in the healthy population. Twenty seven (33%) of the 82 CRPS patients of whom serum was available showed a positive ANA test. This prevalence is significantly higher than in the general population. Six patients (7.3%) showed a positive result for typical antineuronal antibodies. This proportion, however, does not deviate from that in the general population. Our findings suggest that autoantibodies may be associated with the pathophysiology of CRPS, at least in a subset of patients. Further research is needed into defining this subset and into the role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of CRPS.

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and other autonomic disorders in antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome (APS)

Background

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune hypercoagulable disorder that has been shown to cause a large number of cardiac and neurological manifestations. Two recent studies have demonstrated abnormalities in cardiovascular autonomic function testing in APS patients without other cardiovascular or autoimmune disease. However, an association between autonomic disorders such as postural tachycardia syndrome and APS has not previously been described.

Methods and results

Data were obtained by retrospective chart review. We identified 15 patients who have been diagnosed with APS and an autonomic disorder. The median age of the patients at the time of data analysis was 39 years. The autonomic disorders seen in these patients included postural tachycardia syndrome, neurocardiogenic syncope and orthostatic hypotension. The majority of patients (14/15) were female and the majority (14/15) had non-thrombotic neurological manifestations of APS, most commonly migraine, memory loss and balance disorder. Many also had livedo reticularis (11/15) and Raynaud’s phenomenon (nine of 15). In some patients, the autonomic manifestations improved with anticoagulation and/or anti-platelet therapy; in others they did not. Two patients with postural tachycardia syndrome who failed to improve with the usual treatment of APS have been treated with intravenous immunoglobulin with significant improvement in their autonomic symptoms.

Conclusion

We believe that autonomic disorders in APS may represent an important clinical association with significant implications for treatment.

Peripheral nerve vasculitis presenting as complex regional pain syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To report the clinical, electrodiagnostic, and pathologic findings in 3 patients who presented with complex regional pain syndrome as their primary manifestation of peripheral nerve vasculitis.

DESIGN

Case series.

SETTING

Outpatient clinic in a tertiary care academic medical center.

PATIENTS

Patient 1 was a 39-year-old woman with a 9-year history of non-length-dependent severe burning pain and swelling in her extremities. Patient 2 was a 67-year-old man with a 2-year history of severe burning pain and swelling in an extremity after a fall. Patient 3 was a 74-year-old man with a 6-month history of severe allodynic pain and atrophy of the right hand after a viral illness

RESULTS

In all 3 cases, clinical and electrodiagnostic testing were suggestive of multiple mononeuropathies. Nerve biopsy either confirmed vasculitis (patient 1) or was suggestive of angiopathy (patients 2 and 3). Immunomodulative therapy led to marked clinical improvement in all 3 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that the inflammatory nerve injury seen with peripheral nerve vasculitis can result in complex regional pain syndrome. Clinical and electrodiagnostic assessments can help in the identification and management of these patients.

Orthopedic involvement in antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common autoimmune disease, manifested by vascular thrombosis and fetal loss in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. Orthopedic involvement is a relatively novel and under-recognized feature of APS. In this article we review the association of primary, secondary, and catastrophic APS with diverse orthopedic conditions, including osteonecrosis in adult and pediatric patients, bone marrow necrosis, nontraumatic fractures, and some other disorders.

[Orthopedic manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome]

PURPOSE

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by arterial and/or venous thrombosis, and pregnancy morbidity in association with antiphospholipid antibodies. Since its classical description 22 years ago, the clinical spectrum of APS has embraced the realms of obstetrics, nephrology, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, angiology and now, possibly orthopaedics. This is not surprising given that this disease can affect virtually any organ system and blood vessel of any size and nature. Just as venous thrombosis may affect limbs and internal organs, arterial thrombosis has been shown to affect organs such as the brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver and may also involve the skeleton.

CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS

In this review, we describe the orthopedic aspects of APS recently reported, bone metatarsal fractures, osteonecrosis and more exceptional complications, ie algodystrophy and bone marrow necrosis. We briefly discuss postulated pathogenesis and possible implications of anticoagulation.

FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS

This data need further confirmation. They may suggest complementary physiopathologic and therapeutic implications.

The fasciitis-panniculitis syndrome presenting as complex regional pain syndrome type 1: report of a case

A 28-year-old man presented with a clinical picture suggestive of complex regional pain syndrome type I following a blow to the thenar eminence and thumb. Symptoms, including swelling of the hand and distal forearm, progressed until an amputation was carried out to rid the patient of an unendurable painful and nonfunctioning wrist and hand. The histologic evaluation of the amputation specimen showed: 1) dermal edema, perivascular dermatitis, and epidermal hyperkeratosis; 2) subcutaneous chronic inflammation with subtotal replacement of the adipose lobules by fibrous tissue associated with thickening of the muscular fascia, implying the fasciitis-panniculitis reaction pattern; 3) atrophy, degeneration, necrosis, and focal calcifications of the skeletal muscles; 4) phlebosclerosis, phlebectasias and lymphocytic arteritis; and 5) increased cortical porosity of the bones. It seems that the pathogenetic process underlying the fasciitis-panniculitis syndrome may rarely manifest as a complex regional pain syndrome-like disorder.