Primary Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: Neuro radiologic Findings in 11 Patients.
- Author:
Jung Hoon KIM
1
;
Choong Gon CHOI
;
Soo Jung CHOI
;
Ho Kyu LEE
;
Dae Chul SUH
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Brain, CT; Brain, MR; Angiography; Thrombosis, arterial; Thrombosis, venous
- MeSH: Adult; Antiphospholipid Syndrome/*radiography; Brain/pathology/*radiography; Cerebral Angiography; Female; Human; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Age; Risk Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- From:Korean Journal of Radiology 2000;1(1):5-10
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe the neuroradiologic findings of primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (PAPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a recent two-year period, abnormally elevated antiphospholipid antibodies were detected in a total of 751 patients. In any cases in which risk factors for stroke were detected-hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and the presence of SLE or other connective tissue diseases-PAPS was not diagnosed. Neuroradiologic studies were performed in 11 of 32 patients with PAPS. We retrospectively reviewed brain CT (n = 7), MR (n = 8), and cerebral angiography (n = 8) in 11 patients with special attention to the presence of brain parenchymal lesions and cerebral arterial or venous abnormalities. RESULTS: CT or MR findings of PAPS included nonspecific multiple hyper-inten-sity foci in deep white matter on T2-weighted images (5/11), a large infarct in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (4/11), diffuse cortical atrophy (2/11), focal hemorrhage (2/11), and dural sinus thrombosis (1/11). Angiographic findings were normal (5/8) or reflected either occlusion of a large cerebral artery (2/8) or dural sinus thrombosis (1/8). CONCLUSION: Neuroradiologic findings of PAPS are nonspecific but in young or middle-aged adults who show the above mentioned CT or MR findings, and in whom risk factors for stroke are not present, the condition should be suspected.
