title: Antiphospholipid syndrome: a survey of clinical characters in ten cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To gain further understanding of the antiphospholipid syndrome(APS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysing clinical and laboratory data on ten cases of APS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombocytopenia appeared in all cases. Venous thrombi of limbs appeared in five cases and neurological abnormalities in two cases. Renal impairments were found in three cases. One case manifested left renal venous thrombi and the other two cases thrombotic microangiopathy. Budd-Chiari syndrome was found in one case. One of the ten cases was catastrophic APS (CAPS) presented as acute diffuse swelling, cyanosis, pain, ischemia and necrosis in fingers and limbs, recurrent shock, ascites, hepatic and respiratory dysfunction. Anticoagulants and corticosteroids could be effective for dealing with APS. It was critical to treat catastrophic APS with anticoagulants or plasmapheresis as early as possible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  APS shows variable manifestations for good prognosis, but catastrophic APS has fatal risk. The main treatment for APS is the use of anticoagulants and immunosuppressives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. chenlihua-y@163.com
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling-ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: You-ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing-bi
authors.initials: QB
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D013921:Thrombocytopenia
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000925:Anticoagulants; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents