title: Livedo racemosa as a marker of increased risk of recurrent thrombosis in patients with negative anti-phospholipid antibodies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Livedo reticularis racemosa and cerebrovascular lesions characterize Sneddon's syndrome. We report 23 patients with livedo racemosa and describe the association with thrombotic events. Our objective was to determine whether livedo racemosa may be an independent clinical marker for the development of thrombotic events in patients who test negative for anti-phospholipid antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with widespread livedo racemosa were studied. None of the patients were positive for anti-phospholipid antibodies. The clinical protocol included a register of thrombotic events, fetal death or miscarriages, hypertension, and valvular heart disease. Cerebral MRI and echocardiography were systematically performed in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients (82.60%) had thrombotic events. Fifteen (65.21%) had arterial thrombosis and eleven (47.82%) presented venous occlusions. Seven patients (30.43%) had both arterial and venous thrombosis. Fetal losses were recorded in seven cases (30.43%), with a total number of 33; five patients had 3 or more fetal losses. Eleven out of 23 patients (47.82%) had valvular heart disease. Arterial hypertension was detected in 16 (69.56%) patients. Four patients did not have thrombotic events but had other clinical manifestations. After anti-coagulation therapy was withdrawn, a new thrombotic event was observed in 9 out of the 14 treated patients (64.28%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Livedo racemosa seems to be a good clinical marker for the detection of hypercoagulable states even in the absence of anti-phospholipid antibodies or other known biologic markers of thrombosis. Long-term anti-coagulation is probably warranted in patients with livedo racemosa and a previous thrombotic event.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit in Systemic Autoimmune diseases, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. ferranmartinezvalle@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez-Valle
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ordi-Ros
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selva-O'Callaghan
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balada
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solans-Laque
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilardell-Tarres
mesh_terms: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054068:Livedo Reticularis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid