DOI: 10.12890/2024_004877

Complex antiphospholipid syndrome successfully controlled for 17 years with personalized enoxaparin therapy

Authors

  • Mafalda Vasconcelos Consulta de Doenças Auto-imunes, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, ULS Loures-Odivelas, Loures, Portugal 0000-0001-8818-3697
  • Patrícia Moreira Consulta de Doenças Auto-imunes, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, ULS Loures-Odivelas, Loures, Portugal 0000-0002-1072-7364
  • Teresa Costa e Silva Consulta de Doenças Auto-imunes, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, ULS Loures-Odivelas, Loures, Portugal 0000-0003-1323-5637
  • João Espírito Santo Consulta de Doenças Auto-imunes, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, ULS Loures-Odivelas, Loures, Portugal 0000-0001-6415-2095
  • Carla Noronha Consulta de Doenças Auto-imunes, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, ULS Loures-Odivelas, Loures, Portugal 0000-0002-4760-8895

mafaldalvasconcelos@gmail.com

Keywords

Antiphospholipid syndrome, antibody triple positivity, splanchnic vein thrombosis, long-term enoxaparin anticoagulation, personalized therapeutic strategies

Abstract

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and venous and arterial thrombotic events, including obstetric complications. We describe the case of a 56-year-old female diagnosed with APS with triple antibody positivity and multiple disease-associated manifestations, namely recurrent purpuric lesions, adrenal insufficiency due to infarction, acalculous cholecystitis, and three spontaneous abortions. Her follow-up was marked by severe thrombotic and haemorrhagic events, notably splanchnic vein thrombosis and haemorrhagic shock after a renal biopsy, as well as the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus 8 years after the APS diagnosis. Chronic anticoagulation with enoxaparin, with dosage guided by anti-factor Xa activity, resulted in stability without complications over 17 years. This case emphasizes the importance of personalized therapeutic strategies and close monitoring in patients with APS.

View the entire article

Downloads

References

  1. Barbhaiya M, Zuily S, Naden R, Erkan D, Sciascia S, Cohen H, et al. The 2023 ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria. Arthritis Rheumatol 2023;75:1687–702.
  2. Espinosa G, Santos E, Cervera R, Asherson RA, Piette JC, de la Red G, et al. Adrenal involvement in the antiphospholipid syndrome: clinical and immunologic characteristics of 86 patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 2003;82:106–118.
  3. Danowski A, de Azevedo MN, de Souza Papi JA, Petri M. Determinants of risk for venous and arterial thrombosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome and in antiphospholipid syndrome with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol 2009;36:1195–1199.
  4. Pengo V, Denas G, Zoppellaro G, Padayattil Jose S, Hoxha A, Ruffatti A, et al. Rivaroxaban vs warfarin in high-risk patients with antiphospholipid syndrome. Blood 2018;132:1365–1371.
  5. Tektonidou MG, Andreoli L, Limper M, Amoura Z, Cervera R, Costedoat-Chalumeau N, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of antiphospholipid syndrome in adults. Ann Rheum Dis 2019;78:1296–1304.

Published

2024-10-24

How to Cite

1.
Vasconcelos M, Moreira P, Costa e Silva T, Espírito Santo J, Noronha C. Complex antiphospholipid syndrome successfully controlled for 17 years with personalized enoxaparin therapy. EJCRIM [Internet]. 2024 Oct. 24 [cited 2026 Nov. 3];11(11). Available from: https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/4877

Most read articles by the same author(s)