VASCULITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME

Several syndromes involving antiphospholipid antibodies have been desc ribed in the literature. Although the varied clinical manifestations h ave been well delineated, the vascular pathophysiology in patients wit h these antibodies remains unclear. Vascular damage is often described as a vasculopathy; however, several case reports have described an as sociated vasculitis. We report two patients with manifestations of ant iphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) and concurrent vasculitis. The first patient, a 42-year-old man, presented with abdominal pain and fe vers. The second patient, a 39-year-old man, presented with fever and testicular pain. Both were ultimately felt to have polyarteritis nodos a associated with APLS. Their complicated hospital courses and difficu lties we encountered in diagnosing and treating them are discussed. Th e literature describing other cases of vasculitis associated with anti phospholipid antibody syndrome is reviewed. Whether the presence of an tiphospholipid antibodies favors the development of vasculitis or vice versa is not clear. Further studies are needed to address this questi on and to determine optimal therapeutic regimes in these critically il l patients.