Hereditary Protein S Deficiency and Activated Protein C Resistance Manifesting With Recurrent Thrombosis and Stroke

The dual coagulation disorder hereditary protein S deficiency and activated protein C (APC) resistance, which clinically manifests with recurrent venous thrombosis and multifocal ischemic stroke, has only rarely been reported in the same patient. The patient is a 54-year-old male with a history of recurrent, asymptomatic ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) since age 14 and four episodes of deep vein thromboses (DVT), two complicated by pulmonary embolism, attributed to hereditary protein S deficiency and homozygous factor V Leiden mutation. In addition, the medical history was positive for obesity, previous chronic alcoholism, smoking, gynecomastia with left breast resection, arterial hypertension, hepatic steatosis, and cholecystolithiasis. Because of low compliance, long-term oral anticoagulation with phenprocoumon from the age of 38 was replaced by dabigatran (300 mg/d) after another stroke with bleeding at the age of 54. In summary, the simultaneous presence of two hereditary coagulation disorders can lead to multiple venous thromboses and recurrent ischemic stroke. An appealing therapeutic option in poorly compliant patients with these two hereditary clotting defects is the replacement of long-term anticoagulation with a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) by a direct oral anticoagulant.