Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome Presenting as Congestive Heart Failure in a Patient with Thrombotic Microangiopathy

• Published in: Texas Heart Institute journal 2019-02, Vol.46 (1), p.48-52
• Main Authors: Tulai, Iulia M, Penciu, Oana M, Raut, Raymond, Rudinskaya, Alla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Antiphospholipid Syndrome - complications; Antiphospholipid Syndrome - diagnosis; Biopsy; Case Reports; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Failure - diagnosis; Heart Failure - etiology; Humans; Middle Aged; Thrombotic Microangiopathies - complications; Thrombotic Microangiopathies - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0730-2347; 1526-6702
• DOI: 10.14503/THIJ-17-6472

Thrombotic microangiopathic syndromes are characterized by thrombus formation leading to microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and end-organ injury that most often affects the kidney and brain. Patients with thrombotic microangiopathy can also present with cardiac involvement, which has been shown to worsen their prognosis. We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman who presented with acute congestive heart failure as a manifestation of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, which is characterized by rapidly progressing multiorgan involvement. Targeted therapy improved our patient's cardiomyopathy and saved her life. Increased recognition of thrombotic microangiopathy as an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism in heart failure and initiation of timely treatment may help to prevent death in patients with thrombotic microangiopathy.