Pregnancy and puerperium are high susceptibility periods for the development of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.
It is well known that antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with recurrent pregnancies losses, but is also associated with other obstetric features such as preeclampsia, uteroplacental insufficiency and preterm birth. Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state than can be complicated by thrombosis, especially in those patients with an underlying thrombophilic disorder. Catastrophic APS is a rare form of presentation of the APS. Several trigger factors have been related with the catastrophic APS, including infections, anticoagulation withdrawal, surgery, neoplasms and lupus "flares". In around 6% of the cases, the catastrophic APS can appear during pregnancy or puerperium. We review this specific subset of the catastrophic APS and propose a therapeutical approach for this particular situation.
Gómez-Puerta
José A
JA
Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Institut Clínic de Medicina i Dermatología, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Cervera
Ricard
R
Espinosa
Gerard
G
Bucciarelli
Silvia
S
Font
Josep
J
D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D002388:Catastrophic Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*