Article Text
Abstract
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by a heterogenous group of antibodies directed against negatively charged phospholipids including antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and β-2 glycoprotein I (aβ-2-GP1). The major features of this disorder include arterial and venous thrombosis and recurrent fetal loss. The vasculature of the eye is frequently involved and may be the presenting manifestation. A diagnosis of APS should be considered in a young patients without traditional thromboembolic risk factors presenting with ocular vaso-occlusive disease. Management of these patients involves a team-approach with a haematologist/oncologist or rheumatologist to manage the coagulation status of these patients to prevent further systemic vascular occlusions.
- Antiphospholipid syndrome
- ocular
- vaso-occlusive retinopathy
- antiphospholipid antibodies
- anti-cardiolipin antibodies
- inflammation
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Footnotes
This is a reprint of a paper that first appeared in Br J Ophthalmol, April 2011, Volume 95, pages 454–459.
Funding This work was supported in part from funding from the Veterans Affairs Career Development (CDA2) Award.
Competing interests None.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.