Five-year follow-up by transesophageal echocardiographic studies in primary antiphospholipid syndrome

Am J Cardiol. 2005 Aug 15;96(4):574-9. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2005.04.022.

Abstract

This prospective study describes valvular abnormalities assessed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) over a 5-year follow-up. Of the 56 patients with APLS evaluated at baseline, 47 (84%) had repeat TEE examinations, including 3 patients who died before the end of the follow-up. The first TEE study showed cardiac involvement (thickening or vegetations and embolic sources) in 34 subjects (61%), with mitral valve thickening, the most common abnormality, present in 30 patients (54%). Embolic sources were found in 14 patients (25%; 9 severe spontaneous echocardiographic contrast, 5 Libman-Sacks endocarditis), associated with mitral valve thickening or stenosis in 10 patients. Over the 5-year follow-up, cardiac involvement was unchanged in 30 subjects (64%). New cardiac abnormalities were observed in 17 patients (36%), 15 (88%) with high immunoglobulin-G (IgG) anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) titers and 2 (12%) with low IgG aCL titers. In conclusion, this study showed that mitral valve thickening and embolic sources are frequently observed in patients with APLS. Anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet treatment was ineffective in terms of valvular lesion regression. New appearances of cardiac involvement are significantly related to high IgG aCL titers.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / complications
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / diagnostic imaging*
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Disease Progression
  • Echocardiography, Transesophageal*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / complications
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / physiopathology
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis / complications
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis / physiopathology
  • Pregnancy
  • Prospective Studies
  • Regression Analysis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Risk Factors
  • Thromboembolism / diagnostic imaging
  • Thromboembolism / etiology
  • Thromboembolism / prevention & control
  • Time Factors