title: Clinical challenge: heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) or pseudo-HIT in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome.
abstract: Treatment of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) and thrombosis in some cases that represents a clinical challenge, which, if unrecognized, may lead to treatment delay or disease progression with potentially lethal outcome. We present a case of a 19-year-old patient with antiphospholipid syndrome, factor V (FV) Leiden mutation in heterozygous state, and venous thromboembolism. The patient was subjected to intravenous infusions of unfractionated heparin (UFH), and 16 days after the beginning of the treatment, his condition worsened, with thrombocytopenia and extension of thrombosis. Whereas the patient had a high clinical score for HIT II, functional and antigenic assays for the presence of HIT antibodies were negative. After repeated negative functional and antigenic assays, pseudo-HIT was suspected and nadroparin was introduced, which resulted in further worsening of the clinical presentation. Disease remission, along with complete normalization of platelet count, was finally accomplished with the introduction of lepirudin. The presence of multiple comorbid states, such as antiphospholipid syndrome, can potentially make laboratory confirmation of disease more difficult in patients with HIT II. In our opinion, it is of great importance that HIT II diagnosis be primarily clinical and that laboratory test results are carefully interpreted, especially when HIT is indicated by high clinical score values.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Pasterova 2, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perunicic
authors.forename: Nebojsa M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Antonijevic
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miljic
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Djordjevic
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mikovic
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovac
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Djokic
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mrdovic
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.forename: Zorana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vasiljevic
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics*; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006629:Hirudins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D017762:Nadroparin / Q000009:adverse effects; D010976:Platelet Count; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*