Multi-organ failure secondary to catastrophic anti-phospholipid syndrome

We describe the case of a young woman with a known history of thrombocytopenia, who developed respiratory and circulatory failure thought to be caused by sepsis. She subsequently was shown to have high titres of anticardiolipin antibodies as well as lupus anticoagulant. Serological tests for various...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anaesthesia and intensive care 2002-02, Vol.30 (1), p.82-85
Main Authors: IHLE, B. U, OZIEMSKI, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Antiphospholipid Syndrome - complications
Antiphospholipid Syndrome - diagnosis
Antiphospholipid Syndrome - physiopathology
Biological and medical sciences
Diagnosis, Differential
Fatal Outcome
Female
Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases
Humans
Medical sciences
Multiple Organ Failure - etiology
Platelet diseases and coagulopathies
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Summary:We describe the case of a young woman with a known history of thrombocytopenia, who developed respiratory and circulatory failure thought to be caused by sepsis. She subsequently was shown to have high titres of anticardiolipin antibodies as well as lupus anticoagulant. Serological tests for various connective tissue diseases were negative. Multiple cerebral ischaemic lesions led to a poor outcome. This case highlights the potential difficulties in differentiating catastrophic anti-phospholipid syndrome from disseminated intravascular coagulation.
ISSN:0310-057X
1448-0271
DOI:10.1177/0310057X0203000116