TRANSIENT REGIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS WITH ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

We describe two patients with clinical, radiological and laboratory fi ndings consistent with transient regional osteoporosis. In both cases antinuclear and antiphospholipid antibodies were found with no evidenc e of any other autoimmune disease. Both patients were smokers. We sugg est transient ischemia caused by antiphospholipid antibodies as a poss ible etiological factor in this rare and poorly understood syndrome, a nd hypothesize that anticoagulants and abstinence from smoking may pla y a role in the prevention of recurrence in these patients.