Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome in Mexico. Literature review

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare entity, approximately 600 cases have been reported around the world, and the prevalence in Mexico is unknown.

To determine the estimated prevalence of CAPS in Mexico.

A literature search of isolated clinical cases or case series was conducted in diverse search engines, using the terms: "Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome" and "Mexico" in May 2022.

We found a series of retrospective cases in autopsies that included 12 cases, two reports that included 2 cases each, and reports of 11 isolated clinical cases; these publications were generated between 2003 and 2020. In total, we collected data on 27 cases of CAPS, of which 16 correspond to primary antiphospholipid syndrome, 10 are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, and 1 case corresponds to systemic sclerosis. The estimated prevalence rate in the Mexican population in 2022 is 2 cases per 10,000,000 inhabitants. The estimated mortality was 68% in this case series.

Cases of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome in Mexico are underreported; identifying them will help improve current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies used in the country, encouraging the implementation of triple therapy and, in refractory cases, the use of eculizumab, to reduce current mortality.