title: Morbidity and mortality in the catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: pathophysiology, causes of death, and prognostic factors.
abstract: The catastrophic variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a condition characterized by multiple vascular occlusive events, usually affecting small vessels and evolving over a short period of time, together with laboratory confirmation of the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. The pathogenesis of catastrophic APS is not completely understood. The mortality rate was ~50% in the earliest published series, but recently it has clearly fallen by some 20% due to the use, as first-line therapies, of full anticoagulation, corticosteroids, plasma exchanges, and intravenous immunoglobulins. Cerebral involvement has been identified as the main cause of death, being present in one third of patients, and consisting mainly of stroke, cerebral hemorrhage and encephalopathy, followed by cardiac involvement and infection. The only identified prognostic factor for a higher mortality rate is the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus.
authors: Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Institut Clínic de Medicina i Dermatologia, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors: Gerard
authors: G
authors: Espinosa
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Bucciarelli
authors: Ronald A
authors: RA
authors: Asherson
authors: Ricard
authors: R
authors: Cervera
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002423:Cause of Death; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011379:Prognosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous