Student St. George’s University School of Medicine Folsom, California, United States
Abstract Text: Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by persistently high titers of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAs). Constant exposure to these antibodies result in recurrent venous thromboemboli that result in a variety of devastating consequences. APS is relatively rare at a prevalence of around 50/100,000 people. Due to the esoteric nature of this disease, however, there are presumably many more cases that are misdiagnosed initially or go completely undiagnosed.
Here we present a case of a 31 year-old woman who believed herself to be infertile due to recurrent spontaneous abortions resulting in the loss of 10 fetuses. Despite her condition, she was able to give birth to a healthy baby girl with the help of obstetricians that diagnosed APS, as well as severe pre-eclampsia. Immediate emergency measures were undertaken by her care team where they performed an emergency C-section prior to her expected delivery date. Additional measures were also taken, such as rigorous blood pressure control and magnesium sulfate administration for maternal seizure prophylaxis and fetal neuroprotection.
While our patient was able to have a successful birth, her condition was identified only after a staggering number of fetal losses. APS can lead to emotionally devastating recurrent spontaneous abortions, but fertility is still possible and can be maximized by rapid diagnosis and by taking appropriate measures. The goal of this paper is to outline our current knowledge of APS management and add to the current literature by identifying the successes and possible areas of improvement in the management of our patient’s case.
