PRIMARY ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROM E PRESENTING IN THE FORM OFCARDIAC-TAMPONADE AND TRANSIENT ISCHEMIA ATTACK

The authors report a case of echocardiographically confirmed cardiac t amponade, which required emergency pericardial aspiration, and a trans ient ischaemic attack revealing an underlying primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in a 29-year-old patient. The test for antiphosphol ipid antibodies was positive on 2 occasions (IgG > 91.41 mu g/l). The diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus was eliminated. A favourabe course was observed after 3 months of corticosteroids and platelet ant iaggregants. Any case of cardiac tamponade or transient ischaemic atta ck with an unexplained aetiology in a young patient must suggest the d iagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.