APSSA - Symptoms

There may be no DVT symptoms indicating the location of the deep vein thrombosis, but when there are, the classical symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include pain, swelling and redness of the leg. Up to 25% of all patients in hospitals may have some form of deep vein thrombosis, which is clinically not apparent and has no serious medical repercussions. Physical examination is not reliable for excluding a deep vein thrombosis. Careful history taking must include risk factors including the use of the oral contraceptive pill, recent long-haul travel like on a plane, a history of miscarriage, a family history of blood clots.

Pulmonary embolism (clot in lung)

Clots in the veins can cause inflammation of the veins (thrombophlebitis) of the legs with pain in the thigh or calf, swelling of the leg, and sometimes a visible, red, thickened blood vessel.

Arterial Thrombosis

Arterial Thrombosis, which can lead to recurrent stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks and heart attacks

TIA symptoms, which usually occur suddenly, are similar to those of stroke but do not last as long.

Treatment of TIA: Because there is no way to tell whether symptoms are from a TIA or an acute stroke, patients should assume that all stroke-like symptoms signal an emergency and should not wait to see if they go away.

Description of TIA: TIA occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted.

Pregnancy

Recurrent miscarriage, including early and late foetal loss.

Premature birth.

Infertility

Pre-Eclampsia

Brain

Headache and Migraine
Stroke*, repeated strokes and TIA´s or Transient Ischemic Attack
Memory loss
Balance disorder, hearing problems
Seizures, often mistaken for Epilepsy
Atypical Multiple Sclerosis* (MS) symptoms
Speech disturbance, (slurred or confused speech) This is often transient
Absences, vagueness
Severe dementia (rare: untreated cases)

*Stroke:

The sudden death of some brain cells due to a lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is impaired by blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A stroke is also called a cerebrovascular accident or, for short, a CVA.

*Multiple Sclerosis(MS):

A disease of the central nervous system (CNS) marked by numbness, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control. MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks myelin, a key substance that serves as a nerve insulator and helps in the transmission of nerve signals. The progress, severity and specific symptoms in MS are unpredictable. One never knows when attacks will occur, how long they will last, or how severe they will be. Most people with MS are between the ages of 20 and 40 at the time of diagnosis. The term "multiple" refers to the multiple places in the CNS that are affected and to the multiple relapses and remissions characteristic of MS.

Heart & Lungs

Heart attacks, murmurs, heart valve problems

Lung thrombosis (pulmonary embolism)

Pulmonary hypertension (raised pressure) causing shortness of breath

Heart lesions

Valve failure (rare)

Angina

Eyes

Sudden visual loss (clots around the eye)

Loss of part of field of vision

Dry eyes(Sjogrens´s Syndrome)

Blurring of vision

Skin

"Blotchy" circulation, purplish, red mottling pattern ("livedo reticularis")

View Examples of "livedo reticularis":

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Skin Ulcers

Cold circulation

Arterial insufficiency in lower limbs, causing pain, discomfort & discolouration (cyanosis)

Kidneys

Thrombosis in arteries or veins

Raised blood pressure

Liver

Liver thrombosis, Budd-Chiari Syndrome*

*Budd-Chiari Syndrome:

A blood clot prevents blood from flowing out of the liver and the person may experience nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, pale stool and swelling of the abdomen.

Blood

Low platelet count

Destruction of red blood cells (haemolysis) causing anaemia

Gastrointestinal

APS can affect the blood supply to the intestines, causing abdominal pain, fever and blood in the stool.

APS can cause a condition called Budd-Chiari Syndrome, in which a blood clot prevents blood from flowing out of the liver, and the person may experience nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin) dark urine, pale stool and swelling of the abdomen.

General

Fatigue

Aches and pains in any part of the body

Fatigue -also common in patients suffering from other auto-immune disorders e.g Lupus

Fibromylagia -Chronic joint and muscle pain - also common in other auto-immune disorders

"Catastrophic" APS* (widespread sudden thrombosis) Urgent medical intervention required!!

*Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAS) (Also known as Asherson's Syndrome)

This is the most feared complication of APS. Fortunately, is it extremely rare, but when it occurs it is an "all stops out" medical emergency. The most commonly cited scenario is an individual with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) who appears to be well - often on no treatment - who suddenly starts to develop widespread clots. The clots involve any or all of the vital organs - the lungs, the liver, the adrenals, the brain. The triggering factor(s) for this "gear-change" is unknown, though in a number of patients an infection such as a virus, sore throat or chest infection seems to start the process. Another rare cause is the stopping of anticoagulant treatment in a known aPL patient.

PRIMARY OR SECONDARY APS

In those who have been diagnosed with Lupus or another systemic disorder, the condition is referred to as secondary APS.

The APS symptoms are the same in both conditions, but people with secondary APS have the additional symptoms of the primary disorder.

Approximately 1 in 3 people with Lupus have secondary APS. However, research to date has shown that those with primary APS are not considered to have a high chance of going on to develop Lupus.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, inflammatory auto-immune disorder (in which the body´s defence system attacks its own tissues), which may affect one or many organs, including the skin, joints and internal organs.

Please refer to our Links page for more information on Lupus.

Click here to read more about Lupus. (Right click here and select "Save as ..." to download the PDF file to your computer)

Download PDF Reader (if you do not already have one on your computer)

If you are aware of any research work being conducted regarding APS or Lupus and APS within South Africa, please contact us.

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© 2007 APS Foundation of SA All Rights Reserved Registration #052-417-NPO	Dedicated to the memory of Teresa Forde and Loretta Dow. None of this would have happened without your inspiration.