Reversible adult respiratory distress in primary antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is a disorder caused by circulatin g antibodies reacting with biological membranes and characterized by recurr ent thrombosis, chronic thrombocytopenia and miscarriages. It has been repo rted to occur either as a primary syndrome or secondary to systemic autoimm une disorders. We describe a case of primary APS in a young patient, in who m the clinical course was particularly severe and complicated by a respirat ory distress syndrome. The patient was resistant to a number of treatments, and eventually responded to intravenous high dose corticosteroids. (C) 200 0, Ferrata Storti Foundation.