title: [Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome and acute heart failure. Report of a case].
abstract: A 33 years old woman was admitted to the hospital after four days with cough, dyspnea, orthopnea and hemoptysis. Blood pressure was 170/90 mmHg, pulse was 112 and temperature was normal. She had cyanosis and a left ventricular gallop, without heart murmurs. A chest radiograph revealed pulmonary edema and echocardiogram showed a global left ventricular systolic disfunction. Oxygen and furosemide were started, but cardiopulmonary collapse ensued. The patient was supported with mechanical ventilation and treated with inotropic drugs. A right sided cardiac catheterization showed pulmonary wedge pressure of 18 mmHg and a cardiac index of 3 l/min/m2. The levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen were elevated and a urine protein was 97 mg/dl. Coagulation tests were normal except by a positive lupic anticoagulant. Markers of connective tissue diseases or vasculitis were negatives. The clinical evolution suggested that a catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome was ongoing. Intravenous corticoids, gammaglobulin and cyclophosphamide were administered with transient improvement. On her fourth day of treatment, the patient presented sudden pulmonary bleeding and embolism. A plasmapheresis was performed with improvement of renal, cardiac and pulmonary function. After this episode, the patient has been treated with prednisone and oral anticoagulants treatment for the last two years, without further clinical events.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. pcastro@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Reinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venegas
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fardella
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jalil
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016534:Cardiac Output, High / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D002388:Catastrophic Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor