M. Morgan et al., CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF 125 PATIENTS WITH THE LUPUS ANTICOAGULANT, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine, 23(2), 1993, pp. 151-156
A retrospective analysis of 125 consecutive lupus anticoagulant (LA) p
ositive patients and 125 age, sex matched lupus anticoagulant negative
controls is reported with the aims of defining further the clinical s
pectrum of disease, determining at-risk subgroups and management strat
egies. There was no significant difference in the incidence or pattern
of complications in those with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and
related disorders, and those without SLE. Venous thromboembolism, imm
une thrombocytopenia, foetal loss, depression and hypertension were st
atistically more common in the LA group than in the control group. In
contrast to previous reports, children aged ten years or less with the
LA developed significantly more complications than controls. Patients
with the LA secondary to drugs also developed complications, a findin
g which is also at variance with previous reports. There was a signifi
cant difference in the outcome of arterial disease (p < 0.04) and veno
us thromboembolism (p < 0.001) when long term anticoagulation was part
of the treatment regimen.