The prevalence of vascular occlusive disease associated with antiphospholipid syndromes

The association of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) with unexplained vascular occlusive disease (VOD) is well known. We reviewed the records of 102 consecutive patients seen over a 9 months period who had positive IgG or IgM aCL to determine the frequency and types of VOD in this unselected group of patients. Lupus anticoagulant was detectable in 17 of 67 (25%) patients tested. VOD occurred in 80 of 102 (78%) aCL-positive patients comprised of 17 (16.7%) with systemic venous VOD or pulmonary embolism; 27 (26.5%) with cerebral VOD: 11 (10.8%) with systemic arterial VOD; 3 (2.9%) with coronary thrombosis; and 5 (4.9%) with visceral venous or arterial VOD. Of the 19 obstetric patients with positive aCL, 17 (89%) had at least one unexplained fetal loss and 8 of the 17 (47%) had multiple or recurrent fetal losses. Twelve (11.7%) of the 102 patients met the ACR criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Additionally, 12 (11.7%) patients were identified as nonSLE or undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD). The remaining 78 (76%) had no known underlying disease (primary antiphospholipid syndrome). We conclude that IgG and IgM aCL with or without lupus anticoagulant are associated with diverse types of VOD but cerebral VOD appears predominant. aCL-associated unexplained VOD occurs frequently in patients without evidence of CTD-65 of 80 (81%) in our series. Testing for aCL is essential for identifying patients with unexplained VOD, and it should be performed in prospective clinical studies of such patients to better define the pathogenic role of aCL in the natural history of unexplained VOD.