title: Splenomegaly in primary antiphospholipid syndrome without accompanying portal hypertension or comorbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the presence of splenomegaly in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients without accompanying portal hypertension or comorbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients (7 women) aged 23-65 years followed upon the diagnosis of PAPS were enrolled in the study. We documented the identified causes of splenomegaly in patients with PAPS, and searched for the potential causes of splenomegaly in patients with spleen enlargement. PAPS patients with or without splenomegaly were evaluated in terms of demographic and clinical findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Splenomegaly was present in 6 of the 12 patients. In these patients, there were no infections, hematological disorders, portal hypertension or malignancy that might lead to splenomegaly. The long axis of spleen was found to be in the range of 137-155 mm in patients with splenomegaly. Splenomegaly was more frequently determined in female PAPS patients. The splenomegaly group had a longer duration of disease (median 5.5 vs. 0.75 years) and a higher number of thrombotic events (median 3 vs. 1.5). The splenomegaly group was especially composed of patients who never received any anticoagulant and acetylsalicylic acid, or who used these agents irregularly for very short periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Splenomegaly was observed in association with disease duration, frequency of thrombotic events and irregular antiaggregant or anticoagulant treatment in patients with PAPS, in the absence of comorbidity or portal hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Vakif Gureba Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. malicikrikcioglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cikrikcioglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hursitoglu
authors.forename: Hafize
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erkal
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.forename: Turkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cakirca
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erkal
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bahtiyar
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cordan
authors.forename: Tufan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tukek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors