Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has a broad clinical spectrum. As a result,
the prognosis may differ depending on the specific subset of APS being con
sidered. There are patients with mild APS and patients with a more severe d
isease. Pulmonary hypertension, neurologic involvement, myocardial ischemia
, nephropathy, gangrene of the extremities and especially, the catastrophic
antiphospholipid syndrome are associated with a worse prognosis. In additi
on, apart from fetal loss and pregnancy complications, APS patients have a
substantial risk of thrombosis during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Follow-up studies have shown that having APS, whether primary or secondary,
confers a poor prognosis.