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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Kenneth Kaye, MD

Kenneth Kaye, MD

Dr. Kaye received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of California, San Diego in Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences. After graduating from New York Medical College, he completed his internship and residency training in pathology at Harbor - UCLA Medical Center.

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In this Article

• What is antiphospholipid syndrome?
• What laboratory tests can support the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome?
• What causes antiphospholipid syndrome?
• How is antiphospholipid syndrome treated?
• What is catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome?
• Antiphospholipid Syndrome At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Antiphospholipid Syndrome - Symptoms
• Find a local Rheumatologist in your town
• Antiphospholipid Syndrome Index

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is a variant of antiphospholipid syndrome that is characterized by blockage of many blood vessels throughout the body. As a result of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, many organs can be affected, including the skin, lungs, brain, heart, kidneys, and bowels. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is treated with anticoagulation, corticosteroids (cortisone medication), and plasmapheresis (plasma exchange).

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is rare, affecting less than 1% of those with antiphospholipid syndrome. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is sometimes referred to as Asherson's syndrome after the researcher who described it in the early 1990s.

• Antiphospholipid syndrome is an immune disorder that can affect virtually any organ.
• Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome can have a variety of antibodies to phospholipids in their blood.
• Antiphospholipid syndrome involves abnormal tendency toward clotting of blood.
• Each individual patient with the antiphospholipid syndrome is treated uniquely according to what symptoms are present.

References:

Bucciarelli S., et al. Mortality in the Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome. Arthritis & Rheumatism 2006;2568-76.

Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, W B Saunders Co, edited by Shaun Ruddy, et al., 2000.

American College of Rheumatology, Annual Scientific Meeting; November, 2006, 2007.