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The autoimmunity conundrum: clotting or inflammation
Author(s) -
YEE Dennis Z. Y.,
TENG Gim Gee,
LIM Anita Y. N.,
LOW Adrian F.,
VASOO Sheila
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-185x.2010.01534.x
Subject(s) - medicine , antiphospholipid syndrome , infective endocarditis , endocarditis , autoimmunity , systemic lupus erythematosus , immunology , disease , dermatology , antibody
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune condition with a myriad of clinical manifestations ranging from cardiovascular, neurologic, renal involvement to cutaneous manifestations and thrombocytopenia. We describe a young woman who presented with fever, cough and dyspnea. She had a history of recurrent pregnancy losses and her antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus serologies were positive. Echocardiography showed mobile mitral and aortic valve vegetations. She was treated as for infective endocarditis and diagnosed with primary APS with lupus‐like disease. Vigilance is required to establish if there is an underlying rheumatological condition in a patient who presents with presumptive infective endocarditis in the absence of risk factors. Treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus and primary APS are distinct.