title: Antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as pulmonary thrombosis and pancreatitis in a young man.
abstract: The antiphospholipid syndrome and protein-S deficiency are known prothrombotic conditions. The confirmation of the latter in a patient with a recent antiphospholipid syndrome-associated thrombosis may be difficult as protein-S levels are low in a patient in the wake of recent thrombosis, antiphospholipid antibodies themselves may be targeted against protein-S and oral anticoagulation with warfarin may further bring down protein-S levels. We report a case of a 29-year-old man presenting with widespread unprovoked thrombosis in the form of pulmonary thromboembolism, neck vein thrombosis and pancreatitis. He was found to have antiphospholipid syndrome with low protein-S levels on two occasions. He was anticoagulated with heparin and improved over a 24-day hospital stay marred by the development of an exudative pleural effusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine,  Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra,  India.
authors.forename: Sanat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phatak
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Redkar
authors.forename: Meenakshi Amit
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Niteen D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Karnik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*