Lupus anticoagulant. A report of 8 cases

Eight cases with lupus anticoagulants (LA) were diagnosed over the last five years (1984-88). Of these, three were established cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), where bad obstetric history (2 cases) and recurrent deep venous thrombosis (DVT--1 case) prompted execution of laboratory tests for LA. In the remaining 5 cases, there was no clinical evidence of SLE. However, one case developed laboratory findings suggestive of SLE at a later date. One of these 5 patients was referred for unexplained abnormality in partial thromboplastin time (K). Three had recurrent abortions (one with additional history of DVT) while one had DVT with raised PTT (K). The clinical findings and laboratory tests by which lupus anticoagulants can be diagnosed have been discussed.