Biomaterial Database

The antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: diagnostic aspects. 2004

Raed Behbehani, and Robert C Sergott, and Peter J Savino

Neuroophthalmology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. r_behbehani@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE The antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is an important cause of arterial and/or venous thrombosis. In this review the authors discuss recent trends in the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of this syndrome that are of relevance to ophthalmologists. RESULTS The diagnostic criteria of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome have been reviewed and revalidated recently. Few prospective studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with retinal vascular occlusion and the spectrum of ophthalmologic findings in patients with established antiphospholipid syndrome. New antibody tests for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome are available with increased sensitivity and specificity, but lack of standardization, and interassay and interlaboratory variation makes it difficult to determine their clinical value. CONCLUSIONS Ophthalmologists should be familiar with the spectrum of clinical manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome, the diagnostic criteria of this disease, and be able to carry out a basic laboratory workup for this entity. A high index of suspicion for this disorder is also important in making the diagnosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005128	Eye Diseases	Diseases affecting the eye.	Eye Disorders,Eye Disease,Eye Disorder
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016736	Antiphospholipid Syndrome	The presence of antibodies directed against phospholipids (ANTIBODIES, ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID). The condition is associated with a variety of diseases, notably systemic lupus erythematosus and other connective tissue diseases, thrombopenia, and arterial or venous thromboses. In pregnancy it can cause abortion. Of the phospholipids, the cardiolipins show markedly elevated levels of anticardiolipin antibodies (ANTIBODIES, ANTICARDIOLIPIN). Present also are high levels of lupus anticoagulant (LUPUS COAGULATION INHIBITOR).	Anti-Phospholipid Antibody Syndrome,Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome,Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome,Hughes Syndrome,Anti Phospholipid Antibody Syndrome,Anti Phospholipid Syndrome,Antibody Syndrome, Anti-Phospholipid,Antibody Syndrome, Antiphospholipid,Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndromes,Syndrome, Anti-Phospholipid,Syndrome, Anti-Phospholipid Antibody,Syndrome, Antiphospholipid,Syndrome, Antiphospholipid Antibody,Syndrome, Hughes
D019411	Clinical Laboratory Techniques	Techniques used to carry out clinical investigative procedures in the diagnosis and therapy of disease.	Clinical Laboratory Test,Clinical Laboratory Testing,Clinical Laboratory Diagnoses,Clinical Laboratory Testings,Clinical Laboratory Tests,Diagnoses and Laboratory Examinations,Diagnosis, Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnosis,Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses,Laboratory Techniques, Clinical,Clinical Laboratory Technique,Diagnose, Clinical Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnoses,Laboratory Technique, Clinical,Laboratory Test, Clinical,Laboratory Testing, Clinical,Technique, Clinical Laboratory,Test, Clinical Laboratory,Testing, Clinical Laboratory