The characteristics of mesenteric vascular thrombosis in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the characteristics of mesenteric vascular thrombosis (MVT) in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS).Methods The cases reports about MVT in patients with APS were searched in Pubmed and Chinese biomedical database (1983.1-2007.7) and then were analyzed.Results There were 13 males and 8 females in 21 patients.The average age was (37±17) years (5months～69 years).Three cases (14%) had a history of deep venous thrombosis and 4 (19%) had spontaneous abortions.The course of disease was 4 hours to 4 months.The clinical manifestations included abdominal pain 18 (86%),hemafecia or melaena 4 (19%),vomiting 3 (14%),diarrhea 2 (10%),hematemesis 2(10%).Physical signs included abdominal tenderness in 10(48%),peritoneal irritation signs in 5 (24%),shifting dullness in 3 (14%) anddecreased bowel sounds in 3 (14%).Mesenteric vascular thrombosis were detected through B uhrasonography (3/10,33%),abdominal CT (9/13,69%),MRI (4/4,100%),Doppler ultrasound (4/4,100%),angiography (6/6,100%).Eighteen cases (86%) had positive anti-cardiophospholipin antibody and 14 (67%) were IgG-subtype.Lupus anticoagulants were detected in 4 (19%).Sixteen cases reee-ived exploratory laparotomy,lsehemia or necrosis of intestine were found in 9(56%).In 21 cases,superior mesenteric vein thrombosis,suprior mesenteric artery thrombosis,inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis,inferior mesenteric artery thrombosis were discovered in 17 (81%),4 (19%),0 (0%),1 (5%)patients respectively.Portal vein was also involved in 7 (33%) cases who had superior mesenteric vein thrombosis.Conclusion Superior mesenteric vein is usually involved in patients with APS who have MVT.MVTs are always occurr in middle-age male patients.Some patients have deep vein thrombosis or spontaneous abortion before MVT.The disease may be fulminant or had is insidious in onset.Abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction are the most common manifestations.IgG-subtype anticardiophospholipin antibodiesare the common antibodies discovered in these patients.Combined more than one image methods can detect the thrombi effectively.Anticoagulation and essential exploratory laparotomy are effective interventions in most cases.