[Thromboembolic manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (author's transl)]

Among 60 patients (56 females, 4 males) with severe forms of SLE, 13 developed thromboembolic arterial and/or venous manifestations, an overall incidence of 21.6 percent. Thrombophlebitis episodes, mainly affecting lower limbs, occurred in 8 patients, usually an initial or early manifestation of active lupus disease; thrombophlebitis was recurrent in two, and pulmonary embolism was proved in two patients. Arterial occlusion developed in 7 patients, early in the course of active SLE and mainly affecting peripheral arteries in 4, later and affecting coronary arteries in three. In two patients, both arterial and venous manifestations occurred simultaneously or successively. A circulating anticoagulant with antiprothrombinase activity was present in 8 (61 percent) of the 13 patients with thromboembolic manifestations, as compared to only 21 percent of those without such manifestations, a highly significant (p less than 0.001) difference.