title: Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: clinical description and triggering factors in 8 patients.
abstract: In 1992, an attempt to single out a different and important group of patients was adopted by introducing the term "catastrophic" antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) to describe their potentially life threatening clinical course, characterized by acute multiorgan failure (3 or more organ systems damaged). Patients previously described in the literature showed certain differences that appear to distinguish this minority group of patients with catastrophic APS from the majority of APS patients. We describe 8 patients with catastrophic APS, focusing especially on the possible extrinsic factors (mainly infections) that might trigger this "catastrophic" situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Specialties Hospital, Manuel Avila Camacho National Medical Center, Puebla, Mexico.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rojas-Rodriguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Carrasco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramos-Casals
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Enriquez-Coronel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colchero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cervera
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Font
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged