title: Two cases of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.
abstract: Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare complication of antiphospholipid syndrome. It is a disseminated severe vascular pathology which presents with multi-organic dysfunction that progresses rapidly. Prognosis ends up being fatal in half of the cases. It may appear during pregnancy, surgery, infection, or after suspension of anticoagulation therapy. We studied two female patients with CAPS who survived after treatment with anticoagulation therapy and intravenous corticosteroids. The evolution of our two patients, after 17 months of follow-up under oral anticoagulant treatment was favourable and they are currently asymptomatic. In these patients the early diagnosis and treatment were essential to enhance their possibilities of survival.
authors.affiliation: Service of Internal Medicine, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain. nurianavarrete@latinmail.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navarrete
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jaén
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cáliz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Alonso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000517:prevention & control; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants