(Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, 2016-12) Rodríguez- Pintó, Ignasi; Cervera, Ricard
The term anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) “catastrophic”
was introduced to define a serious and rapidly
progressive form of APS which leads to multi-organ failure.
Patients with catastrophic APS have in common: a)
a clinical evidence of multiple organ involvement (3 or
more organs); b) pathological evidence of occlusion of
multiple small vessels (although some patients have also
thrombosis of large vessels) and c) confirmation of the
presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (APAs), usually
at high titers.
Although they represent less than 1% of all patients with
APS, they usually found in an urgent medical situation
that requires a thorough clinical monitoring and an early
and vigorous treatment
