Deep venous thrombosis and lupus anticoagulant. A case-control study.
BACKGROUND
A definite evidence in favour of an association of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) with lupus anticoagulant (LA) in patients free from systemic lupus erythematosus is still lacking.


METHODS
In a case-control study, LA was determined in 176 consecutive outpatients who underwent phlebography because of the first episode of clinically suspected DVT of lower limbs. The association between DVT and LA was described using odds ratios (OR).


RESULTS
Contrast venography confirmed the clinical suspicion in 59 patients (33.5%). LA was detected in 5 of the 59 patients with DVT (8.5%), and in none of the 117 subjects with normal venogram (P = 0.007). The OR for having an acute DVT in patients with LA was 10.7 (95% CI: 1.2-94.2).


CONCLUSIONS
LA is significantly associated with DVT in symptomatic patients. Further studies are needed to establish the clinical implications of this association.
Simioni
P
P
Institute of Medical Semeiotics, University Hospital of Padua, Italy.
Prandoni
P
P
Zanon
E
E
Saracino
M A
MA
Scudeller
A
A
Villalta
S
S
Scarano
L
L
Girolami
B
B
Benedetti
L
L
Girolami
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000276:immunology*
D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor