Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: neuroradiologic findings in 11 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the neuroradiologic findings of primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (PAPS).


METHODS
During a recent two-year period, abnormally elevated antiphospholipid antibodies were detected in a total of 751 patients. In any cases in which risk factors for stroke were detected-hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and the presence of SLE or other connective tissue diseases-PAPS was not diagnosed. Neuroradiologic studies were performed in 11 of 32 patients with PAPS. We retrospectively reviewed brain CT (n = 7), MR (n = 8), and cerebral angiography (n = 8) in 11 patients with special attention to the presence of brain parenchymal lesions and cerebral arterial or venous abnormalities.


RESULTS
CT or MR findings of PAPS included nonspecific multiple hyper-intensity foci in deep white matter on T2-weighted images (5/11), a large infarct in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (4/11), diffuse cortical atrophy (2/11), focal hemorrhage (2/11), and dural sinus thrombosis (1/11). Angiographic findings were normal (5/8) or reflected either occlusion of a large cerebral artery (2/8) or dural sinus thrombosis (1/8).


CONCLUSIONS
Neuroradiologic findings of PAPS are nonspecific but in young or middle-aged adults who show the above mentioned CT or MR findings, and in whom risk factors for stroke are not present, the condition should be suspected.
Kim
J H
JH
Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Choi
C G
CG
Choi
S J
SJ
Lee
H K
HK
Suh
D C
DC
D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed